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Missing 11-yr-old Madalina Cojocari's backpack, clothes 'vanished' from home, mom Diana tells cops

Diana Cojocari told authorities that her husband Christopher Palmiter had 'put her family in danger but did not know about Madalina Cojocari'

BY VARNIKA SRIVASTAVA

PUBLISHED DEC 22, 2022

Madalina Cojocari's mom Diana revealed to authorities that some of her daughter's items, her backpack and some clothes, had gone missing from the home as well (Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office; Cornelius Police Department)

CORNELIUS, NORTH CAROLINA: Missing 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari's mother Diana had been detained after waiting three weeks to report her daughter missing to the police. Recently, Diana reportedly revealed to authorities that she thought her husband and her daughter's stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, had put the family in peril and added that the child's backpack and some clothes had gone missing as well.

WCNC reported that Diana told detectives she believed her husband "put her family in danger but did not know what happened to the girl." The report also said that she contacted her family in the "Eastern European country of Moldova, who told her to call the police, but she was hesitant to call."

'Not a good sign': Internet fears missing 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari may not be alive

According to the outlet, Diana said that Cojocari's backpack and some clothes were missing from their home but added that her daughter "would not have any friends or family to stay with."

The investigation was launched after Diana arrived at Bailey Middle School on Thursday, December 15, for a truancy conference without Cojocari. According to the charging document, the school counselor reportedly called the police and persuaded Cojocari to submit a missing person report for her daughter. School administrators had sought to contact Diana about the child's absence multiple times and requested a meeting with both of them.

It was also reported that Palmiter drove to Michigan a day after Cojocari's disappearance, on November 23, according to News Nation, after he had an altercation with Diana.

According to authorities, Cojocari is 4ft 10in tall, weighs around 90 pounds, and has brown eyes and brown hair. The 11-year-old was dressed in jeans, pink, purple, and white Adidas shoes, a white t-shirt, and a jacket when last spotted. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Cornelius Police Department at (704) 892-7773.