Madalina Cojocari: Search for North Carolina girl, 11, continues as cops release new photo 3 months after her disappearance
CORNELIUS, NORTH CAROLINA: The case of missing Madalina Cojocari, 11, has become more challenging. Cornelius Police Department is still searching for the young girl who was reported missing on December 15, 2022, three weeks after she vanished on November 23. A new image of the missing 11-year-old has been made public by the officials. In the photo, Madalina can be seen smiling while glancing at the camera in a blue rain poncho.
Madalina vanished from Cornelius, North Carolina, where she resided with her mother Diana Cojocari, 37, and stepfather Christopher Palmiter, 60, as previously reported by The Sun.
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'It's been 85 days'
"It has been 85 days since Madalina was last seen getting off her school bus on November 21, 2022. It has been 61 days since Cornelius Police learned on December 15, 2022, Madalina was missing," Cornelius Police Department said on their Facebook page along with the child's new photo in which she can be seen smiling at the camera. "The Cornelius Police Department, the SBI and the FBI continue to search for Madalina. Detectives are working tirelessly and are following up on many leads to bring Madalina home," they added.
'Delayed filing missing persons report'
Madalina's mother Diana has been accused of delaying filing a missing person report to avoid conflict with her husband Christopher Palmiter, as per reports. She said that the last time she had seen Madalina was when she entered her bedroom at 10.00 pm on that particular November day, according to both Madalina's middle school personnel and the local police, reported Yahoo! News. Earlier, Madaline's mother and stepfather had been fighting, according to court records. The following day, Palmiter traveled to see family in Michigan to "recover some items," based on the records.
'Pair allegedly torched domestic goods'
The first time Diana stated she discovered Madalina was missing was at 11.30 am on November 24, 2022. According to an affidavit, she waited three days after Palmiter's return from Michigan before asking him whether he knew where the child was. He apparently responded by asking his wife the same question. Days after Madalina vanished, the pair allegedly torched domestic goods in their yard as well.
'#FindMadalina'
Madalina, a sixth-grader at Bailey Middle School, was last seen arriving for class two days before going missing, according to school bus security video footage. A handwritten letter from Madalina's family expressing their desire to locate the 11-year-old was made public by the Cornelius Police Department on December 22. The child was last spotted sporting pink, purple, and white Adidas sneakers, along with jeans, a white T-shirt, and a jacket. Police urged the public to share the child's photo on social media. "Please continue to share her pictures on social media to help us #FindMadalina. If you have information that could help detectives, please contact the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773," the statement read.