Madalina Cojocari, an 11-year-old girl, vanished after stepping off her school bus on November 21, 2022.
She has not been seen since that day and her disappearance remains an unsolved mystery.
Her case has gathered a lot of attention because there are still many unanswered questions about her disappearance.
She still remains missing as of today.
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| Madalina Cojocari |
Background
Madalina Cojocari is originally from Moldova, where her mother, Diana Cojocari, is a citizen.
On April 11, 2011, Madalina Cojocari was born to her mother, Diana Cojocari.
However, Diana migrated to the US with her daughter Madalina when she was a toddler.
Madalina loved horses, playing games, and hanging out with her friends.
She lived with her mother, Diana, and her stepfather, Christopher Palmiter.
They lived at their home on Victoria Bay Drive in Cornelius, North Carolina.
By the fall of 2022, Madalina was a 6th-grade student at Bailey Middle School.
Sadly, a routine trip home from school turned tragic when she never made it back and disappeared.
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| Madalina Cojocari |
The Disappearance: Madalina Cojocari’s Final Known Movements
Madalina was last seen on November 21, 2022, when she attended school as usual.
After school, she got on a school bus that dropped her off near her house.
Cameras on the bus captured her getting off the bus at a stop near her house.
However, after she got off the bus, she never made it home and has not been found since.
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| Madalina Cojocari getting off the school bus |
After Thanksgiving break, she didn’t return to school, and the school authorities were deeply concerned.
The school tried to contact her mother severally but received no response.
On December 12, 2022, a counselor and a resource officer from Bailey Middle School visited the Cojocari home.
They received no answer when they knocked, so they left a truancy packet.
A truancy packet is a set of documents provided by a school to address a student's absenteeism.
Two days after the visit, Diana went to Madalina's school and informed them that she also hadn’t seen Madalina since November 23, 2022.
Now here comes the twist.
Instead of reporting Madalina’s disappearance right away, Diana waited until Christopher, who had traveled out of town, returned.
Sadly, it wasn’t until December 15, 2022, three weeks after Madalina was last seen, that her mother, Diana, reported her missing.
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| Diana Cojocari |
The Investigation into Madalina’s Disappearance
The investigation into Madalina’s case started in earnest after her disappearance was reported to the authorities.
When detectives questioned Diana, she said she hadn’t seen Madalina since November 23, 2022.
During a search of the Cojocari home, detectives saw plywood blocking part of the kitchen.
Diana later explained that it was for a planned construction project.
However, the detectives have not shared any additional details about that search, probably due to an ongoing investigation.
On December 16, 2022, the FBI and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) were brought in to assist with the investigation.
Additionally, a missing person poster for Madalina was issued immediately.
On December 17, 2022, both Diana and Christopher were arrested and charged for not reporting their child’s disappearance immediately after she went missing.
During their trial, the couple blamed each other for the delay in reporting.
According to court documents reviewed by newsmen, Diana said she was afraid of how her husband would react if she reported Madalina missing.
Christopher, on the other hand, alleged through his lawyers that Diana manipulated him into believing that Madalina was safe.
They both pleaded not guilty.
Diana’s bail was set at $250,000, and Christopher’s was set at $200,000.
Christopher's bail was later reduced to $25,000, and he posted bail and was released.
On May 31, 2024, a jury in Charlotte, N.C., found Christopher guilty of the charge after just 14 minutes of deliberation.
He was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation.
However, during his court proceedings, Christopher expressed doubt that Madalina would ever be found.
He testified that he believed Diana might have taken Madalina to Moldova, her home country, to stay with her Moldovan family.
On May 20, 2024, Diana Cojocari unexpectedly pled guilty to failing to report her daughter missing.
She was sentenced to 6 to 17 months but was released as she had already served this time awaiting trial.
Despite her release, the mystery surrounding Madalina’s whereabouts remains unresolved.
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| Christopher Palmiter |
Unanswered Questions
As the investigation unfolded, several suspicious details came to light.
Diana’s phone contained a text message indicating she was with Madalina on December 2nd, 2022.
This contradicted her earlier statements when she said she last saw her on November 23, 2022.
Additionally, Diana had been in contact with a relative who was already on the authorities' radar for drug-related offenses.
Investigations revealed that they had been discussing plans for her and Madalina to possibly leave the area.
This revelation raised concerns about possible links to human smuggling and drug trafficking.
When police searched Diana’s car, they found Moldovan passports and travel documents for both Madalina and Diana.
Additionally, the vehicle showed signs of narcotics during the search.
While they were in jail for not reporting her disappearance, Christopher and Diana's calls were monitored by Detectives working to solve Madalina’s case.
The calls revealed discussions about unexplained cash that Diana sent overseas and the possibility that Madalina was being sold.
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| Christopher and Diana |
Ongoing Search: Efforts to Find Madalina and Recent Developments
The search for Madalina has continued despite numerous setbacks.
The police and FBI conducted extensive searches and followed numerous leads.
However, they found no immediate answers about Madalina's disappearance.
By December 2023, over 245 homes were canvassed, and more than 250 leads were pursued globally.
Yet, no clues about Madalina's disappearance were found.
The Cornelius Police Department emphasized their commitment to finding Madalina in a social media post.
They have maintained public awareness through missing person posters and social media campaigns.
They stated, "This has been our priority since we learned she was missing."
Additionally, North Carolina authorities have officially named her mother, Diana Cojocari, as a suspect in her daughter's disappearance.
They shared an updated missing person poster featuring both Madalina and her mother.
In April 2024, a vigil was held to mark Madalina’s 13th birthday, highlighting the community’s dedication to finding her.
As the search for Madalina continues, the community and authorities remain hopeful that new information will surface, bringing answers and closure to this heartbreaking case.
If you have a tip regarding Madalina Cojocari, you can contact the Cornelius Police Department at (704) 892-7773.
Additionally, tips can be submitted to the FBI through their online portal at tips.fbi.gov.
If you're not living in the U.S. but have information to share, you can also contact the nearest American Embassy or Consulate for assistance.
Below is a video of the case, along with an analysis provided by former cop and private investigator Derrick Levasseur on his YouTube channel.
In another unsolved mystery, a young boy camping with his family spotted the ghost of a woman who had been missing.
He told his parents that she needed help, but when they looked in the direction he was pointing, they saw nothing.
Read more about this case here and see if you can offer any assistance in solving it.
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