'We are desperate to find her': Missing Madalina Cojocari's 'devastated' family's heartbreaking note
CORNELIUS, NORTH CAROLINA: Cornelius Police, FBI, and the State Bureau of Investigation continue to search for Madalina Cojocari, a sixth-grader who was last seen at her home in Cornelius on the evening of November 23. The Cornelius Police Department has now posted a handwritten note from the little girl's family.
“We, as a family, are devastated and absolutely heartbroken to learn that Madalina is missing,” the letter said, adding that the family is doing everything they can to find her and bring her home. “This is something no child or family should ever have to endure,” the letter read.
READ MORE
Heartbreaking final footage of 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari released as mom Diana's story shredded
Mystery of Missing Madalina Cojocari: New timeline reveals chilling details about 11-yr-old girl
The family thanked state and federal law enforcement, and the community, online and locally, for their efforts in looking for Madalina. “Madalina is a beautiful, smart, kind and loving 11-year-old girl with greatness in her future,” the letter read. “We are desperate to find her right now, she needs ALL of our help.” The letter urged everyone to continue sharing posters and photos of the child. They requested anyone with information to come forward.
"We want to share a personal, handwritten message with you from Madalina's family. Please read it & put yourself in their shoes. They ask for your positive thoughts, continued support, & information to help #FindMadalina," the Cornelius Police Department wrote on Twitter, sharing images of the note.
We want to share a personal, handwritten message with you from Madalina's family. Please read it & put yourself in their shoes. They ask for your positive thoughts, continued support, & information to help #FindMadalina. Call the @CorneliusPD at 704-892-7773. pic.twitter.com/KsHk9QXvyM
— Cornelius Police Department (@CorneliusPD) December 22, 2022
According to the Cornelius Police Department, the 11-year-old was not reported missing until three weeks after she disappeared. Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, recently said that she believed her husband put the family in danger. She and her husband, Christopher Palmiter, who is Madalina’s stepfather, had an argument on the night the little girl was last seen, court documents revealed. Palmiter drove to Michigan following the dispute, and three days later, he was told Madalina was missing.
Diana told investigators she did not immediately report her daughter missing because she was afraid it would her relationship with her husband. Last week, Cornelius police arrested Diana and Palmiter for failing to report the disappearance of a child, according to officials.
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.