Police officers reportedly confiscated the mobile phones of 37-year-old Diana Cojocari, the mother of missing 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari, and her stepfather, 60-year-old Christopher Palmiter when they conducted a search of the child’s home in December. The couple were arrested on December 17 for neglecting to report the girl missing for three weeks after her disappearance.
Two months after the investigation began, the 11-year-old girl has still not been found. Madalina was last seen on video on November 21, 2022 coming off a school bus. Her mother says she last saw her on November 23, the day before Thanksgiving. She was reported missing on December 15, three weeks later, when a concerned school employee asked her mother why the girl hadn’t been to school.
With a warrant, more than 24 items were confiscated from Madalina’s home in Cornelius during the search. The house was also searched for physical evidence such as blood and other bodily fluids.
The seized phones are currently being investigated by the police. They are coordinating with the telephone service providers in order to retrieve calls, texts, voicemails, and previous locations to hopefully trace the tracks of the couple.
In addition to this, investigators are also asking for leads if anyone had seen the mother, Diana Cojocari, around Madison County in North Carolina, around the time of her daughter’s disappearance. The North Carolina Bureau of Investigation has also asked Madison County for security footage that may help them in their investigation.
According to the warrant, at 10 pm on November 23, Madalina went to her room while Cojocari and Palmiter were arguing. Soon after, Palmiter drove to Michigan to allegedly “pick up items.” The morning after, upon checking her room, Cojocari discovered that her daughter was missing.
Cojocari shared with a detective that she “believed her husband put her family in danger.”
The couple is currently being held in Mecklenburg County Detention Center and have continued to remain quiet about the girl’s disappearance. Palmiter’s bail is set at $200,000 and Cojocari’s is at $250,000. Should they be released on bail, police will require them to surrender their passports.