Madalina Cojocari is seen in images provided by the FBI (left) and the Cornelius (N.C.) Police Department. Inset: Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter (via Mecklenburg County (N.C.)).
In a newly released search warrant, police said the mother of missing girl Madalina Cojocari texted about being in the child’s “presence” during the disappearance. Not only that, but cops claim that there’s surveillance footage possibly showing Madalina and a distant relative together.
As Law&Crime previously reported, officers said that this distant relative, Octavian Cebanu, had been asked by Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, to smuggle both daughter and mom to safety.
“On December 16, 2022, Sugar Mountain Police Department [in North Carolina] provided surveillance photographs of a man and a young female,” police wrote in an application for a search warrant dated Dec. 19, 2022. “The man in the surveillance images was physically consistent in appearance to Octavian Cebanu, the only blood relative known to live in the United States. The young female in the surveillance images was physically consistent with the missing child, Madalina Cojocari.”
Diana Cojocari is from the nation of Moldova.
Cops have suspected the mother of leaving their North Carolina home county of Mecklenburg in the time between her daughter’s last known whereabouts and the time in which she reported her missing. Newly released documents stated she texted on Dec. 2, 2022 about being in “the presence” of the girl.
“In a text message on December 2, 2022, Diana Cojocari indicated she was in the presence of the missing child,” authorities wrote. “On December 4, 2022, Diana Cojocari traveled toward the NC mountains claiming to be searching for Madalina.”
Police did not quote the text message directly.
Diana Cojocari was seen at a service station in Hickory, North Carolina on Dec. 3, 2022, documents stated. She was getting an oil change.
“The attendant verified that while children’s toys were inside the car, no minor child (Madalina) was present in the car,” documents stated.
Police in Cornelius, North Carolina, previously said that she only reported her daughter missing on Dec. 15, 2022, after officials at Bailey Middle School demanded a meeting about the long-absent Madalina. But Diana Cojocari allegedly showed up without the girl, and she claimed the child was missing since Nov. 22, 2023. According to cops, she asserted she argued with her husband, Madalina’s stepfather Christopher Palmiter, that night. The next morning, Palmiter drove off to his family’s home in Michigan to pick up items.
She waited until Saturday, Nov. 26, when Christopher returned home, before asking if he knew Madalina’s whereabouts, she claimed, according to documents. Christopher allegedly said he did not know and he asked the same question to Diana Cojocari.
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Asked why she did not report Madalina missing until Dec. 15, Diana Cojocari allegedly said she worried it might start a conflict between her and Palmiter. The stepfather also told police he had no knowledge of Madalina’s whereabouts.
The child was 11 went she went missing. She turned 12 on April 11.
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Both Diana Cojocari and Palmiter are charged with failing to report the child missing. Cops publicly called out the couple, saying these two were “clearly” withholding information about the child’s disappearance.
Friction between the couple looms large in the available search warrants. Officers claim to have interviewed a distant relative of Diana Cojocari. This male family member — Cebanu — said Diana Cojocari and her mother asked him if he would help Cojocari with “smuggling” her and Madalina from the home. He “stated that she told him she was in a bad relationship with co-defendant Christopher Palmiter and wanted a divorce,” documents said.
“During a recorded jail call between Christopher Palmiter, his brother and sister-in-law, Palmiter mentions Diana Cojocari had a lot of cash with her and he did not know where it came from,” newly released documents stated.
It is unclear what Palmiter was allegedly implying about his wife, but Diana Cojocari was allegedly more forthright when talking about him behind bars.
“During a recorded jail call between Diana Cojocari and her mother, Rodica, the women discuss a bag with money, withdrawing cash, and a theory that Chris gave the girl away for money,” document stated.
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