Missing NC girl Madalina Cojocari’s parents must surrender passports if they post bail
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Where is Madalina Cojocari?
Madalina Cojocari was 11 years old when she went missing in Cornelius, N.C. in November 2022. But her mother and stepfather did not report her missing for about three weeks and have been charged with failing to report the disappearance of a minor. Meanwhile, as of May 2024, Madalina remains missing.
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Madalina Cojocari’s parents must surrender passports as conditions of their bonds, a judge announced Wednesday in Mecklenburg County court.
No other action was taken by the state or the defense besides Judge Paulina Havelka’s announcement. It was Madalina’s parents’ second court date since their arrest. Neither parent appeared in court.
Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, 37, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, 60, are charged with failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement. Madalina was missing for 22 days before she was reported missing to a school resource officer at Bailey Middle School, where she attends classes as a sixth grader.
Both remained in Mecklenburg County Jail Wednesday. The mom is being held under a $250,000 bond. Palmiter’s bond is $200,000.
Palmiter will also have to wear an ankle monitor if he posts bail, said Assistant District Attorney William Biggers.
The Cornelius Police Department, FBI and state Bureau of Investigation have followed more than 250 leads from around the world to find the 11-year-old, but after more than a month, she is still missing.
What we know about Madalina Cojocari’s disappearance
Madalina, an 11-year-old from Cornelius, was last seen between Nov. 21 and Nov. 23, according to police. But she wasn’t reported missing by her mother and stepfather until mid-December. She was last seen in public when she got off the school bus on Nov. 21, according to police.
A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spokesperson previously told the Charlotte Observer Madalina was reported missing to a school resource officer on Dec. 14. Cornelius Police and the FBI began investigating on Dec. 15.
“This is a serious case of a child whose parents clearly are not telling us everything they know,” Cornelius Police Captain Jennifer Thompson said in a video posted Tuesday afternoon.
Police searched Lake Cornelius as a precaution and Madalina’s house to preserve every piece of evidence possible, Thompson said.
Last week, police released a handwritten letter from an unidentified, extended family member of Madalina. In it, the person begs for anyone with information of her whereabouts to come forward.
Madalina was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple and white Adidas shoes, and a white T-shirt and jacket. She is 4 feet, 10 inches, has dark brown hair and weighs about 90 pounds.
Thompson asked any eyewitnesses to come forward and anyone with information to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or 1-800-Call FBI.
This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Missing NC girl Madalina Cojocari’s parents must surrender passports if they post bail."
