The counselor of a missing student broke down in tears today as she shared disturbing details that led to the girl’s disappearance.
Madalina Cojoacri was 11 years old when she disappeared after being last seen in November 2022 getting off the school bus.
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Witnesses say the high school student was last seen getting off the school bus and that she was not reported missing by Palmiter or her mother, Diana Cojocari, for 21 days.
The two initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Madalina’s mother later changed her plea to guilty.
A judge ruled that she had served the maximum time on the charge and immediately ordered her release.
However, Palmiter’s trial began in a Charlotte courtroom, where Lampkin took the stand that same afternoon.
Read more about Madalina Cojocari
On Friday, Bailey Middle School counselor Danice Lampkin testified that Madalina first appeared on her radar due to her increasing absences.
Madalina was last seen on November 21, 2022, in Cornelius, North Carolina – about 20 miles from Charlotte.
Witnesses say the high school student was last seen getting off the school bus and was not reported missing by Palmiter or her mother, Diana Cojocari, for 21 days.
Both Cojocari and her husband were arrested for failing to report the 11-year-old boy missing.
The couple pleaded not guilty, but Cojocari changed her plea to guilty.
A judge ruled that she had served the maximum time on the charge and immediately ordered her release.
‘I DIDN’T WANT A PATTERN TO DEVELOP’
Palmiter’s trial began in a Charlotte courtroom, where Lampkin took the stand that same afternoon.
Lampkin testified that little Madalina was one of 400 children she was responsible for, but she did not know the student personally.
However, she was alerted about the student after he had several unexcused absences.
“I didn’t want a pattern to develop,” Lampkin said.
She became emotional as she testified and was seen choking up as she began to explain Madalina’s educational background.
Lampkin revealed that Palmiter was Madalina’s confirmed guardian and was listed as her father on the application form.
She said she contacted Madalina’s parents for the first time on October 26 to find out why she was missing school and how to correct the situation.
A month later, after November 21, the counselor stated that she called Palmiter several times, but he never answered.
She continued to email him about her daughter but never got a response.
The messages were taken from Palmiter’s Apple iPhone XR by an FBI forensic expert, and the voicemails were also played during court.
Lampkin testified that in December, Madalina had exceeded her number of absences for the school year and notified her parents that she would need documentation if she wanted to continue being absent.
On December 13, she said she delivered a truancy package to the family’s home.
Once the counselor was finally able to contact Cojocari, she told her to take her daughter to school for a meeting on December 15th.
However, after the mother showed up without her daughter, Lampkin said she decided to notify the principal, the school resource office and the North Carolina Division of Social Services.
LOOKING FOR MORE EVIDENCE
Other important evidence would be presented during the trial.
Palmiter’s defense team filed a motion to remove seized items from the couple’s home that were not provided to the defense.
This includes Cojocari and Palmiter’s cars, 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.
Palmiter’s lawyers believe it is crucial to the case, as Cebenu said Madalina’s mother previously told family members that she planned to flee the country with her daughter.
He said that before her arrest, she was planning to leave her husband and Cojocari’s mother, Rodica, was trying to help them leave.
Cebanu said her cousin told her she was in danger, but not from her husband.
She allegedly revealed that there was a third person who was trying to hurt her.
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
the FBI interview makes Diana’s phone and computer dumps even more relevant.”
FIGHTS IN THE CASE
The police revealed that this was a difficult case, as they continue to search for Madalina.
“We had a lot of detectives, patrol officers and different department personnel working on this case,” Chief Baucom told The US Sun in an exclusive interview this week.
“And it’s been extremely difficult because most of us are parents, most of us have children and we just want to find Madalina.
“It’s hard for a case like this not to cause you personal harm.”
In 2022, after Palmiter and his wife were arrested, Cornelius Police Captain Jennifer Thompson said, “This is a serious case of a child whose parents clearly are not telling us everything they know.”
Baucom revealed last month that he stands by Thompson’s statement.
“This case has been difficult from the beginning and a lot has to do with the length of time from when she was last seen until she was actually reported missing,” he said.
“It took quite a while before our investigation began and we were kind of behind from the start.”
Baucom stressed his conviction that Madalina’s parents were an obstacle to the investigation.
“I believe they could have been more open from the beginning and we would have found Madalina by now,” Baucom said.
Both Cojocari and Palmiter invoked their right to an attorney and refused to speak to police.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
