CORNELIUS, N.C. — On Nov. 21, 2022, then-11-year-old Madalina Cojocari was last seen at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius, North Carolina, leaving her school bus just before 5 p.m. She has not been seen since.
It's been one year since Madalina disappeared. There are no new leads on her whereabouts, and the case remains relatively stagnant.
“I think it is very sad and all of us need to be very mindful of our kids right now in today's times,” said Kelly Collins, a Cornelius resident.
Here's a rundown of what led up to this.
Her mother, Diana Cojocari, told police she last saw Madalina on Nov. 22 around noon. She later on changed her testimony, saying she last saw Madalina on Nov. 23 around 10 p.m. instead. That was the same evening Diana Cojocari told Cornelius Police she and Madalina's stepfather Christopher Palmiter fought that evening.
Police records show Palmiter left town that evening and drove to Michigan to "pick up items." He told police he hadn't seen Madalina for a week prior to that date. Diana Cojocari told police Palmiter actually left on Nov. 24, not Nov. 23 as he claimed.
Palmiter reportedly returned to Cornelius on Nov. 26 and told police it was that day he asked Diana Cojocari where Madalina was. He said Diana told him she didn't know. According to police reports, they both accused each other of hiding Madalina. Neither of them reported her missing until Dec. 15.
Police later released that Diana Cojocari visited the mountains in Madison County, North Carolina, in between Nov. 22 and Dec. 15. Authorities asked for the public's help if they spotted her during that time.
On Dec. 12, a school resource officer visited Madalina's home because she had been truant since Nov. 21. No one answered the door, however. The school resource officer asked Diana Cojocari to meet about Madalina on Dec. 15. Diana Cojocari told the officer she would bring Madalina with her to the meeting. When she showed up to school without Madalina that day, Diana Cojocari told the school resource officer and the school counselor that she hadn't seen Madalina since Nov. 22 at noon. Detectives were sent to her home to search for clues as to where Madalina could be. The FBI was called in to help with the search on Dec. 16. Inside the home, police found the girl's backpack and some clothes missing.
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Both Palmiter and Diana Cojocari were arrested on Dec. 17.
“She’s been missing all of this time and nobody has said anything,” said Gina Barnes, a Huntersville resident. “I think something is fishy and it's sick because that is not normal. That is not what we do. That is not what moms and dads do.”
Arrest records released after they were taken into custody stated Diana Cojocari contacted family in Moldova about her daughter's disappearance. When asked by detectives why she hesitated to contact police, Cojocari said she feared her husband "put her family in danger." She also stated a backpack and clothes belonging to Madalina were gone from their home. That led police to search their home again on Dec. 21.
A warrant to search the family's home on Dec. 30 turned up several undisclosed items. The warrants do show what detectives were looking for, which included documentation of Madalina's residence, clothing, weapons, financial documents, hair, bodily fluids and other DNA evidence.
On Jan. 3, Diana Cojocari and Palmiter were indicted for failing to report Madalina missing.
After many documents were unsealed, investigators revealed on March 8 that there was "extensive communication on Dec. 2, 2022," with a relative whose phone records revealed multiple calls to phone numbers belonging to unidentified targets involved in ongoing T3 drug/narcotic trafficking investigations."
April 11 marked a sad occasion as Madalina's 12th birthday passed with still no sign of her.
While in jail, Diana Cojocari was charged with drug possession on April 14. Those charges were dismissed on July 6.
Cornelius Police confirmed they followed a lead found in a Facebook post that claimed a girl was spotted at a gas station in California who looked like Madalina. Authorities never confirmed if she was Madalina.
On Aug. 18, Palmiter posted bond after his bond was lowered from $200,000 to $25,000. Diana Cojocari remains in jail. He must wear an ankle monitor.
“Electronic monitoring is the most secure way to monitor someone. They have a device that must stay on them 24/7. If the device is taken off, the authorities are automatically notified and they are going to go pick them up,” said Attorney Mark Jetton with Jetton & Meredith PLLC.
Investigators have combed through cell phone records, electronic communications, and other items that may be linked to Madalina’s disappearance.
“I think that the detectives are now dealing with how to get the mother to give them information because she's still behind bars,” said Former FBI agent, M. Quentin Williams. “The father’s out on bond, but the mother is still behind bars and of course, working one against the other.”
However, one year later, she still has not been found.
“You think of the vulnerability of younger kids and it breaks your heart to think about what this little girl has gone through or is going through or her whereabouts,” said Jetton.
Cornelius police are encouraging people to continue to share Madalina’s photos and call in tips.
“There is no bad lead,” said Williams. “So, any information whether it doesn't seem reliable or if it is extremely reliable, anywhere on that spectrum is all valuable. Give that information to law enforcement as soon as possible.”
The community came together on Tuesday in support of the efforts to find Madalina Cojocari.
If you have any information concerning the whereabouts of Madalina Cojocari, please contact the the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773. You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.