Who is Madalina Cojocari’s father? Missing 11-year-old girl’s mother claims her husband ‘put family in danger’

A month after North Carolina sixth-grader Madalina Cojocari disappeared, her mother told law enforcement that she believed that her daughter’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter "put the family in danger."

Madalina Cojocari, a sixth grader at Bailey Middle School, was last seen at her North Carolina home on November 23, 2022. However, the 11-year-old’s mother, Diana Cojocari and stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, did not report her missing to the school’s resource officer until December 15. They were both charged with failing to report the disappearance of a child to law enforcement.

Diana Cojocari told law enforcement that she did not notify the police immediately as she didn't want the investigations into her daughter’s disappearance to create contention between her and her husband.

Diana reportedly had an argument with her husband, who subsequently left their home for days on the night she last saw her daughter.

Officials search Madalina Cojocari's home after her mother makes shocking statements against her stepfather

The baffling statement against Madalina Cojocari’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, 60, surfaced on Wednesday, December 21, as law enforcement arrived at their home again to conduct a search after discovering a secret area boarded up with plywood.

Madalina’s mother told law enforcement that her husband, Christopher Palmiter, reportedly left their home and drove to a family home in Michigan after they two argued on the night she last saw her daughter on November 23 before she went to bed.

Meanwhile, her stepfather told the police that he hasn't seen his stepdaughter since a week before his trip to Michigan on November 23.

Diana Cojocari, who had not seen her daughter since then, assumed that her daughter was being hidden by her husband. However, she did not ask Palmiter about her daughter’s whereabouts until November 26, despite not having seen her for days.

The duo only reported their daughter missing after a Bailey Middle School resource officer and a counsellor showed up at their house on December 12 to check on their daughter, who was absent from school for weeks.

Authorities are trying to find a connection in the convoluted timelines provided by the missing girl’s parents, and have asked the public for their assistance to narrow down the precise time Madalina Cojocari disappeared.

The FBI, who are assisting the Cornelius Police Department in the investigation of the missing girl, released a video showing Madalina getting off of a school bus shortly before 5 pm on November 21.

About the author

Anushree is a US Trending News Specialist at Sportskeeda. After completing her Masters in Journalism from the prestigious Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media in 2017, Anushree worked with the likes of the Hindu, IBT, Times Internet, and One India for 7 years, covering a wide range of topics as a hardcore journalist and a Features writer.

Before creating content, Anushree does a lot of research, exploring old and new reports from credible sources and cross-checking them alongside other reliable sources from the web. She likes the reporting and researching aspect of her job the most as it allows her to gain insights into things that she wouldn't have known otherwise.

Anushree has also had the privilege of interviewing renowned author and television host Padma Lakshmi for the Hindu in 2017.

After signing off from work, Anushree loves to go on walks and hikes. She also enjoys reading and watching a lot of mass media content, especially reality television.

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