North Carolina police obtained surveillance photos of a man and a girl resembling missing 12-year-old Madalina Cojocari, taken after she hadn’t been seen in weeks, according to recently unsealed court documents.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Madalina was last seen at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius, in late November 2022. Her mother, Diana Cojocari, didn’t report her missing until December 15. It was only after a school resource officer reportedly showed up at the child’s home that her mother reported her missing.
A text message from Diana Cojocari on December 2 indicated she was with her daughter, the latest court documents revealed. Then, another message on December 4 showed Cojocari claiming to be searching for Madalina in the North Carolina mountains.
“On December 3, 2022, Diana was seen at a service station in Hickory, North Carolina, getting an oil change in her car. The attendant verified that while children’s toys were in the car, no minor child (Madalina) was seen inside the car,” police wrote in the warrant application, according to Fox News Digital.
“On December 16, 2022, Sugar Mountain Police Department provided surveillance photographs of a man and a young female. The man in the surveillance images was physically consistent in appearance with 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.”
A police report also indicated that the man and child were spotted together at a Lowe’s food in Linville.
“I think that’s the biggest thing and I would certainly be interviewing that person, looking for other camera video — who he was with that day,” Dr. Roy Taylor, a law enforcement consultant, told NBC Charlotte.
Police arrested Cojocari in December 2022 for failing to report her daughter missing. Cojocari told detectives that she didn’t immediately report it because she was concerned that her husband, Christopher Palmiter, would put her family in danger and that it “might start a conflict” with him.
Palmiter was also arrested in December 2022 and charged with failure to report a child missing.
“She told him she was in a bad relationship with co-defendant Christopher Palmiter and wanted a divorce,” the warrant read.
Previous arrest records state that Cojocari and Palmiter were arguing the night Madalina disappeared. Cojocari reportedly claimed that she feared Palmiter put Madalina in danger.
Then, during a search of the mother’s car, a K-9 police dog picked up a narcotics smell inside her green 2008 Toyota Prius on February 10. Police seized the car, along with Cojocari’s Romanian passport, a Moldovan debit card, Madalina’s Moldovan and Romanian passports, and miscellaneous documents found inside the vehicle.
No drugs were found inside the car, police said.
The latest released court records also indicated that during a jail phone call with her mother, Cojocari said that Palmiter had a bag with money and theorized that he “gave the girl away for money.”
Cojocari Court Docs by Leigh Egan
Meanwhile, the Cornelius Police Department received numerous tips regarding possible sightings of Cojocari, but they have determined that all of them were false, including a recent sighting in California.
Madalina is described as a white female who stands 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighs around 90 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on Madalina should call the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773. To remain anonymous, call North Mecklenburg Crime Stoppers at 704-896-7867.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode below.
[Feature Photo via Cornelius PD]
