Newly-released search warrants in the case of Madalina Cojocari, a North Carolina girl who has been missing for more than two years, have provided further details on the investigation into her disappearance. The 11-year-old was last seen on surveillance footage leaving her school bus on November 21, 2022, in the town of Cornelius. Her absence went unnoticed until the following month when her school reported her missing after she failed to attend.
Authorities immediately focused their attention on her mother, Diana Cojocari, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, who were later charged with failing to report Madalina’s disappearance. Both parents were accused of withholding information from investigators. In 2024, Cojocari pleaded guilty to the charges, while Palmiter was convicted after a trial.
According to the warrants, Palmiter informed a Cornelius police detective on December 15, 2022—the day Madalina was officially reported missing—that several of her personal items had been burned in the firepit outside their home. Among the items were her mattress, clothing, a Halloween costume, family photos, and carpet from an upstairs room. This revelation raised further suspicions about the couple’s involvement in her disappearance.
Additionally, one of the warrants uncovered a disturbing 10-minute conversation between Cojocari and a priest from her home country of Moldova. In the weeks following Madalina’s disappearance, Cojocari allegedly sent the priest $4,000. Authorities also seized a phone believed to belong to Madalina, which contained 37 unread messages on Discord, a popular app used by gamers. Police believe the app may have been used by individuals attempting to exploit children, leading to concerns about potential sexual exploitation in the case.
Palmiter’s defense lawyer maintained his client’s innocence, arguing that Palmiter did not know where Madalina was and that he was deeply concerned about her. The defense claimed that Palmiter loved Madalina and had wanted to be a father to her. They argued that Diana Cojocari, who was portrayed as controlling and manipulative, had not shared any information with Palmiter about Madalina’s whereabouts.
According to police statements, Cojocari told investigators that she last saw Madalina on November 23, 2022. When she checked on her daughter the next day, on Thanksgiving, Madalina was no longer in her room. Cojocari reportedly waited until November 26 to ask Palmiter if he knew where Madalina was after he returned from a road trip to Michigan. Palmiter claimed not to know, and the two allegedly questioned each other about the girl’s whereabouts.
When asked why she didn’t report Madalina missing sooner, Cojocari explained that she feared it would cause a conflict with Palmiter. Investigators also discovered that Cojocari had been preparing to leave the country, as they found $8,000 in cash and a passport in her purse.
During the early days of the investigation, Cojocari reportedly kept Palmiter in the dark by telling him that Madalina was sick and staying in her room. She allegedly placed Flonase around the house to make it seem as though the girl was unwell and prevented Palmiter from bringing food to her, claiming she would do so herself.
At trial, Palmiter testified that he believed Madalina was in her room when he returned home. The prosecution emphasized that Palmiter had a legal responsibility to care for Madalina and that his failure to report her missing or check on her for over 24 hours was a clear dereliction of duty. The jury ultimately found him guilty.
Palmiter was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation after serving about eight months in jail. Meanwhile, Cojocari had already served the maximum time behind bars and did not testify at Palmiter’s trial. Reports indicated that she left the country following her conviction. If Madalina is still alive, she would be 13 years old today.
