CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The mother of a missing North Carolina girl was charged in connection with her disappearance, pleaded guilty and was released from prison, all within two years of fleeing the United States.
Madalina Cojocari was last seen on November 21, 2022, when she stepped off a school bus in her hometown of Cornelius, just north of Charlotte.She was 11 years old. Despite Madalina's mother and stepfather telling police that they last saw their daughter at home on the night of November 23, 2022, her whereabouts remained until December 15, 2022. I did not report the unknown.
“That haunts me, and I can safely say that it does the same for all of our detectives and everyone who spent so much time on this case,” Cornelius Police Chief David Baucom told FOX. He told News Digital. “There were times like that in the early days. [the] Some didn't go home for 48 hours because they were working so hard on the investigation, following leads and everything else. Of course, that's only if it's sustainable for any person over the long term. But…she will never leave our hearts. ”
Madalina's mother, Diana Cojokari, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, were arrested and charged in 2022 with failing to report a missing child.
What happens after Madalina Cojokari's mother pleads guilty?
Madalina Cojocari was last seen on November 21, 2022 in Cornelius, North Carolina. (Google Maps/Charlotte FBI)
Princess Diana pleaded guilty in May, arguing that the time she had previously spent in prison had been enough time served.
After a week-long trial, a Mecklenburg County jury found Palmiter guilty on May 31 of failing to report a missing child to law enforcement and sentenced him to 30 months of supervised probation.
madalina cojokari Missing for a year: 'I won't stop until I'm found'
Authorities released Princess Diana from prison around that time, and neighbors reported seeing her return to her quiet suburban neighborhood in early June. Baucom said he and Palmiter “didn't actually live together” after his release, but that he showed up at Princess Diana's former home in early June.
The poster features Madalina Kojokari, who has not been seen since getting off the school bus in November 2022. (Cornelius Police Department)
In late June, Cornelius police named Diana the prime suspect in Madalina's disappearance, but by then she had already left the United States and was likely heading to Moldova.
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“We are… unable to confirm whether she is in Moldova. However, we believe she is back in her home country.”
“And she eventually left the country. We don't know the exact date of her departure,” Baucom said, later adding that there were no restrictions that would prevent her from fleeing the United States.
Madalina Cojokari was last seen in November 2022. (Cornelius Police Department)
Mr Baucom said that when Princess Diana was first arrested in 2022: ”[S]He was indicted and served time on the only charge we could endure in the early stages of the investigation. ”
Police were able to contact Princess Diana while she was still in Cornelius after her release, but authorities subsequently lost track of Princess Diana's exact whereabouts and sought help tracking her abroad. We have contacted federal authorities.
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After Madalina Cojocari disappeared from her hometown of Cornelius, North Carolina, in November 2022, authorities arrested and charged Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter with failing to report a missing child to law enforcement. did. (Mecklenburg County Detention Center)
“We have made that request and we have not yet received a response as to whether it has been fulfilled,” the police chief said of the Cornelius Police Department's request to federal authorities.
Princess Diana was in the United States on a green card. Palmiter filed for divorce from his estranged wife in May.
Missing Madalina Kojokari: A timeline of the North Carolina girl's disappearance that went unreported for weeks
Asked whether Princess Diana's decision to leave would impede efforts to search for Madalina, Baucom said: “It is unfortunate that she has returned to Moldova, but the case here is still ongoing and we will continue to investigate.'' ” he said. I turn 13 years old today. “This investigation has been complex from the beginning, but with a three-week delay since it started, her not being here doesn't make it any easier. But what we're doing is… No change. We will continue to investigate.”
madalina cojokari (Cornelius Police Department)
Based on the investigation so far, Cornelius police do not believe Madalina left the United States, but they have not ruled out any possibility.
“This is still a very active case. We still meet regularly on this case. We have detectives assigned to this case. So it's by no means a cold case. I I just want to make sure that the community and anyone else who actually sees this… [knows] Our goal is to find Madalina,” Baucom said.
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A resident of Cornelius, North Carolina, said he saw Diana Cojokari walking downtown at a neighborhood pool before leaving town. (Facebook user)
Diana told school officials and Cornelius police that she has not seen her Moldovan-born daughter, a sixth-grader at Bailey Middle School, since she went to her bedroom around 10 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2022, after coming into contact with Palmiter. he said. An argument broke out, court documents state.
Palmiter said he drove to a relative's house in Michigan on Nov. 24, 2022, to “pick up some items” after getting into an argument with his wife. According to the affidavit, Princess Diana apparently entered her daughter's room around 11:30 that morning and noticed her 11-year-old daughter was missing.
Note: Madalina was last seen getting off a school bus in 2022
When Palmiter returned to Cornelius' home on November 26, Diana apparently asked where her daughter was. Palmiter asked her the same question, the affidavit says.
Police did not learn of Madalina's disappearance until the 11-year-old girl's junior high school reported her truancy.
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Madalina Kojokali is seen on camera getting off the school bus at 5pm on November 21, 2022. (Twitter/@FBICharlotte)
Bailey Middle School resource officers and school counselors attempted a home visit at the Kojokari address on Dec. 12 after Madalina had not shown up to school since Nov. 21. No one answered the door, and the school counselor left him truant. package at home.
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Phone records obtained by Cornelius police show that Princess Diana and her mother helped “smuggle” Princess Diana and Madalina out of Cornelius' home before Madalina disappeared, according to a search warrant unsealed last year. It has been suggested that he contacted distant relatives to ask if they could help him.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about Madalina's whereabouts to contact CPD at 704-892-7773.
