Madalina Cojocari: Detectives discover section of kitchen sealed with plywood in home of missing girl, 11

CORNELIUS, NORTH CAROLINA: Madalina Cojocari, 11, has gone missing and a community is waiting to learn what happened to her. Crime scene investigators spent countless hours inside the house of the young girl who lived with her mother and stepfather on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

The girl's mother Diana Cojocari and stepfather Christopher Palmiter are still in custody on a charge of failing to report a missing child. According to Madalina's mother, the young child vanished on November 23 but wasn't reported missing until three weeks later. 

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According to a social media user, "an agent was spotted with a box," outside the missing child's house. Several cameras can be seen flashing through the window in the Twitter video.

New information regarding what Diana Cojocari told police about her daughter's disappearance has been revealed in her arrest record. Cojocari claimed she was worried for her family's safety because of her husband Palmiter. She further claimed that after their dispute on November 22, Palmiter spent a few days at his home in Michigan.

On November 24, Madalina's mother claimed that she went to check on the young child and discovered she wasn't in her room. She added that although Madalina didn't have a phone, her bookbag and some clothing were missing from the room. Cojocari claims further said that she called her relatives in Moldova who begged her to file a missing persons report for Madalina, however, she didn't as she was scared of her husband.

Detectives said that when searching the home, they discovered a section of the kitchen that had been closed up with plywood. Palmiter informed them that they were going to build a separate dwelling, as reported by WCCB CHARLOTTE.

The parents of the missing girl are currently held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. Palmiter, who works as a mechanical designer at a machinery manufacturer, is being held on a $100,000 bond. Police have not stated whether Diana is being held on bond. It is also not clear if Madalina’s biological father is involved in the investigation.

Madalina is described as having brown hair and brown eyes, being 4 feet 10 inches tall, and weighing around 90 pounds. "Madalina Cojocari was last seen at home in Cornelius, North Carolina, on the evening of November 23, 2022, and has not been seen since. She was reported missing her school on December 15, 2022. Madalina was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple, and white Adidas shoes, and a white t-shirt and jacket," the FBI said, as reported by WCCB.

Anyone with information on Madalina's whereabouts have been urged to contact the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or the North Mecklenburg Crimestoppers at 704-896-7867.