The search for little Madalina Cojocari: FBI releases new photos of missing 11-year-old girl
CORNELIUS, NORTH CAROLINA: FBI Charlotte has published new photographs of Madalina Cojocari, an 11-year-old girl from North Carolina who has been missing for a month. The new images were made public on Friday, December 23, a day after authorities posted a handwritten letter from Madalina's family pleading for more community assistance in finding her.
Madalina was last seen just before Thanksgiving but her parents did not contact the Bailey Middle School in Cornelius' school resource office until December 15. The girl's mother, Diana Cojocari, and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, have both been arrested and accused of failing to report a missing child since she disappeared. In an earlier report, MEAWW suggested that they were both arrested with the help of Caylee's Law which holds parents responsible for not reporting their child missing during grave danger. This law is applicable in several US states with different implications after it was introduced as a result of the Casey Anthony case in 2008. On December 23, Madalina’s parents penned a heartwarming letter which was posted by the Cornelius Police Department on social media in a bid to raise awareness and find new leads related to the case.
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Earlier this week, we told you Madalina loves horses. You can see the pure joy she feels when she takes her plastic ponies to the beach. And she enjoys riding the real pony named Rayne. Call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 if you can help #FindMadalina. pic.twitter.com/TrvClhRZQe
— FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) December 23, 2022
The new images of the missing girl have been posted by FBI Charlotte with the description, "Earlier this week, we told you Madalina loves horses. You can see the pure joy she feels when she takes her plastic ponies to the beach. And she enjoys riding the real pony named Rayne. Call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 if you can help #FindMadalina." Cojocari and Palmiter both assert that they are unaware of Madalina's whereabouts in the weeks since she vanished. The child is being sought after by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Cornelius Police Department.
On Wednesday night, there was a noticeable police presence at the girl's residence. Officers were visible through the home's windows and were taking pictures inside the residence. According to WBTV, one of the cars at the house was a Crime Scene Search truck. When authorities initially entered the house during the inquiry, they discovered a kitchen area that had been sealed up with plywood. Palmiter allegedly informed police that he was going to build a separate residence when they questioned him about the wooded area. Madalina, who is approximately 90 pounds, was last seen sporting pink, purple, and white Adidas sneakers, along with a white shirt and jacket.