MISSING CASE FILES: MADALINA COJOCARI
Madalina Cojocari
Madalina Cojocari was last seen on surveillance footage exiting her school bus at 4:49 p.m. on November 21, 2022, near her home in Cornelius, North Carolina. Initially, her mother, Diana Cojocari, claimed she last saw Madalina around noon on November 22, but later changed her story, saying the last sighting was at 10:00 p.m. on November 23, when Madalina went to bed.
That same evening, Diana and her husband, Madalina’s stepfather Christopher Palmiter, reportedly had a heated argument. Christopher stated that he left for Michigan on November 23 to retrieve belongings from his family home, though Diana claimed he departed on November 24. Christopher later told investigators he had not seen Madalina for approximately a week prior to that trip.
Madalina Cojocari
⚖️ Summary of Legal Actions
- Diana Cojocari: Arrested December 2022 – Pleaded guilty in 2024 – Released and left the country
- Christopher Palmiter: Arrested December 2022 – Convicted in 2025 Sentenced to probation
November 21, 2022 (Monday)
4:59 PM: Madalina is last seen on surveillance footage from her school bus, getting off at her bus stop near her home in Victoria Bay, Cornelius.
This is the last independently verified sighting of Madalina Cojocari.
November 23–24, 2022 (Wednesday–Thursday)
Thanksgiving holiday begins.
Investigators later suggest this window may be when Madalina disappeared or met with harm.
Between November 23–December 10, 2022
Investigators say items belonging to Madalina were burned in a fire pit behind the family’s home:
Mattress
Clothing
Halloween costume
Family photographs
Portion of upstairs carpet
These actions are believed to be an effort to destroy evidence.
December 12, 2022 (Monday)
Bailey Middle School contacts Diana Cojocari to schedule a meeting regarding Madalina’s prolonged absence.
Diana arrives at school without Madalina and says she’s been missing since around November 23.
School officials urge her to contact police immediately.
December 14, 2022 (Wednesday)
Diana finally meets with a school resource officer and officially reports Madalina missing—23 days after the last confirmed sighting.
December 15, 2022 (Thursday)
Cornelius Police Department opens a missing child investigation.
Police are baffled by the delayed reporting and immediately suspect foul play.
December 17, 2022 (Saturday)
Both Diana Cojocari (mother) and Christopher Palmiter (stepfather) are arrested and charged with failure to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement.
December 19–22, 2022
- Law enforcement serves search warrants at the family home and begins extensive interviews and forensic searches.
Conflicting statements are noted:
- Diana claims she last saw Madalina on the evening of November 23.
- Palmiter claims he left town for Michigan on November 23 and didn’t see Madalina upon returning on November 26
January 2023
- Court documents reveal:
- Diana said she was afraid to call police because it “might start a conflict” with Palmiter.
- She made two unexplained payments totaling $4,000 to a priest in Moldova.
- From jail, she told her mother in a call she had “hidden money.”
February 2023
- Investigators seize phones, computers, and surveillance systems from the home.
- FBI confirms burned evidence in backyard was Madalina’s belongings.
May 2024
- Diana Cojocari pleads guilty to failure to report a missing child and is released from jail after serving time.
- She reportedly leaves the U.S. and returns to Moldova.
January 21, 2025
- Search warrants are unsealed, revealing investigators found burned:
- Mattress
- Photos
- Halloween costume
- Clothing
- Carpet
- These materials were burned weeks before Madalina was ever reported missing.
March 3, 2025
- Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter finalize their divorce in Mecklenburg County.
🗓March 20, 2025
- Christopher Palmiter is convicted at trial for failure to report a missing child and sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation.
April 11, 2025
- On what would be Madalina’s 14th birthday, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children releases an age-progression photo showing what she may look like today.