Madalina Cojocari’s mother smiles as she leaves prison after pleading guilty to failing to report her 13-year-old daughter missing

MADALINA Cojocari’s mother was seen smiling as she emerged from prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to failing to report her daughter missing.

Diana Cojocari, 37, spent 520 days in prison after being arrested in December 2022 – a month after her daughter was last seen.

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The last known sighting of Madalina, then 11, was on November 21, 2022, in Cornelius, North Carolina, as she was getting off the school bus.

Her mother and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, did not report her missing for 21 days and only did so after administrators at Bailey Middle School questioned the parents about Madalina’s absence.

A video on social media showed Diana, surrounded by reporters, leaving prison and ignoring questions about Madalina’s whereabouts.

Diana and her husband initially pleaded not guilty, however, on May 20, Diana suddenly pleaded guilty.

A judge ruled that she had served the maximum time on the charge and immediately ordered her release.

However, her release comes just as her husband’s trial is about to begin.

About half an hour later, Palmiter pleaded not guilty to failing to report Madalina missing.

Palmiter’s lawyers argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution is not complete.

They also requested that any conversations Diana had about Madalina’s whereabouts be used as evidence.

However, prosecutors argued that the search for Madalina was still ongoing and they did not want to affect her.

The judge agreed to the protection and denied Palmiter’s legal team’s request to continue the trial for another day.

NEW EVIDENCE

A recent court case revealed that some of Madalina’s school records will be introduced as evidence at Palmiter’s trial.

An FBI computer forensics expert is expected to testify, according to court records.

Palmiter’s defense team filed a motion regarding items seized from the defendant’s home in a search warrant that was not provided to the defense.

The items include a search of Diana and Palmiter’s cars and GPS data, phone records, prison calls and investigative work conducted after December 17, 2023.

The documents also revealed details of an interview that Diana’s cousin, Octavian Cebanu, had with the FBI after Madalina’s disappearance.

Chronology of the disappearance of Madalina Cojocari

Here is the timeline of events surrounding the 13-year-old’s disappearance:

• November 21, 2022 – The last confirmed sighting of Madalina Cojocari was when getting off the school bus, according to police.
• November 23, 2022 – Madalina’s mother, Diana, told the police that she put her to bed and she disappeared the next morning.
• December 2, 2022 – Diana tells someone via text message that she is with Madalina.
• December 12, 2022 – Diana reports Madalina missing to Bailey Middle School officials after being contacted about truancy. This happened 21 days after she reportedly last saw her daughter.
• December 17, 2022 – Madalina’s mother and stepfather are arrested on charges of failing to report the disappearance of a child.

Palmiter’s defense insisted the evidence was of “particular importance” to the case.

Cebanu stated that Diana told family members that she planned to flee the country with her daughter.

He added that before Diana’s arrest, she told Cebanu that she was trying to leave her husband.

Diana’s mother, Rodica Cojocari, apparently tried to help Diana and Madalina leave, according to Cebanu.

However, documents showed that Diana told Cebanu she believed she was in danger, but not from Palmiter.

Diana allegedly said that an unidentified third party would harm her, Cebanu said.

Palmiter’s lawyers argued that the prosecution withheld information about the interview.

“On May 14, 2024, the State provided the defense with text messages from Diana Cojocari’s phone between Diana Cojocari and Octavian Cebanu and some call records between the two,” Palmiter’s attorneys wrote.

“These text messages and records reveal extensive conversations between Octavian Cebanu and Diana Cojocari during or about the period in which (redacted) did not return to school.

“This communication, together with the conversation revealed in
O FBI interview makes Diana’s phone and computer dumps even more relevant.”

Jury selection for Palmiter’s trial is set to begin on Wednesday, May 22.

‘IT’S NOT A COLD CASE’

Although almost two years have passed since Madalina’s disappearance, Cornelius Police Chief David Baucom told The US Sun he believes she will be found.

“The search for Madelina continues,” Baucom said, adding that police will not stop until she is found.

“It’s not a cold case. It never has been and, from my point of view, it never will be,” he said.

“We will continue investigating this until we find Madalina.”

Madalina turned 13 on May 16 and has been missing for more than 500 days.

Anyone with information about Madalina’s disappearance is asked to call the Cornélio Police Station at 704-892-7773.

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