Cornelius Police seek Madison County witnesses in missing NC girl Madalina Cojocari case
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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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Cornelius Police are seeking witnesses from Madison County as they continue their search for missing 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari.
In a social media post, police shared a photo of a gray or green Toyota Prius and asked anyone who may have seen it between Nov. 22 and Dec. 15 to come forward. Police also shared a photo of a “white female,” who is also identified in the post as her mother, Diana Cojocari.
They are asking if anyone saw her in the area between the same dates.
Madison County is north of Asheville, in western North Carolina.
Madalina was last seen sometime between Nov. 21 and Nov. 23, according to previous information released by police.
Multiple law enforcement agencies, spurred by Cornelius Police Department, have been searching for Madalina since Dec. 15.
Her mother, Diana Cojocari, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, waited until Dec. 15 to report her missing — and only after a school resource officer and counselor went to the family’s home.
On Dec. 17, Cojocari, 37, and Palmiter, 60, were charged with failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement, police records show.
Madalina’s extended family shared a handwritten letter, dated Dec. 22, with the Cornelius Police Department and FBI pleading with the public for help finding her. Authorities have not said who wrote the letter.
The family wrote that they are shocked by the circumstances surrounding Madalina’s disappearance.
Case of Madalina Cojocari
In court and police records obtained by The Charlotte Observer, officials provide details about the puzzling explanations Madalina’s parents gave about when she went missing and why they didn’t report it.
These arrest records show that on the night of Nov. 23, when her mother claims Madalina disappeared, her parents were fighting. Her mother told investigators she believed her husband, Madalina’s stepfather, put their family in danger. She also told police she did not report her daughter missing sooner because she feared “conflict” with him.
It is unclear whether or not Madalina disappeared on Nov. 23, or if it happened earlier. CMS officials say her last day of school was Nov. 22, but later local police and the FBI released footage of Madalina getting off her school bus on the afternoon of Nov. 21. That’s the last time police have been able to independently confirm she was seen, they said.
Days after a police investigation was opened, authorities searched Lake Cornelius as a “precaution” but did not report finding her or any clues.
She was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple and white Adidas shoes, and a white T-shirt and jacket. She is 4 feet, 10 inches tall, has dark brown hair and weighs about 90 pounds.
Anyone with information on Madalina’s whereabouts is asked to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can call North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-896-7867.
This story was originally published January 6, 2023 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Cornelius Police seek Madison County witnesses in missing NC girl Madalina Cojocari case."
