Parents plead not guilty in disappearance of Madalina Cojocari, missing NC girl
READ MORE
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.
Expand All
The mother and step-father of missing Cornelius 12-year-old Madalina Cojocari pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday for failing to report her as missing for more than three weeks. The case is expected to proceed to trial.
Madalina was last seen Nov. 23, police have said, but she wasn’t reported missing by her parents until Dec. 15.
Her mother, Diana Cojocari, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, have both been charged with failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.
Cojocari and Palmiter first appeared in court in April and had their bonds set at $250,000 and $200,000, respectively.
Cojocari’s public defender said in court Thursday that prosecutors had not offered a plea deal.
Palmiter pleaded not guilty, according to WCNC. Palmiter’s bond was lowered to $25,000 while Cojocari’s remains the same according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Both Cojocari and Palmiter have been interviewed by police, but have not offered any explanation as to why they didn’t report Madalina as missing, or where she might be, prosecutors said in a previous court hearing.
Missing child: Madalina Cojocari
Most of the court documents associated with the case are under seal, but the Observer has been able to obtain some search warrants that say detectives were told Cojocari was attempting to “smuggle” both her daughter and herself away from their home in Cornelius because of her “bad” relationship with her husband.
These court documents show Cojocari had a conversation with a distant relative on Dec. 2, 2022 and that relative later told police he was asked to help Cojocari leave with Madalina because Diana wanted a divorce, the Observer previously reported.
Previously released arrest records show that on the night Madalina disappeared, her parents were fighting. Her mother told investigators she believed her husband, Madalina’s step father, put their family in danger. She also told police she did not report her daughter missing sooner because she feared “conflict” with him, investigators wrote in the documents in the court file.
It has been approximately nine months since Madalina disappeared. In this span of time police have searched Lake Cornelius for her, the community has held several vigils, and law enforcement have executed multiple search warrants on Cojocari’s home and vehicle. Madalina also turned 12-years-old and the community gathered for a solemn recognition of this in April.
Officers ask that anyone with information on Madalina’s whereabouts call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or the FBI at 1-800-CALL FBI. To remain anonymous, call North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-896-7867.
This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 12:20 PM.
