Parents ‘waited three weeks’ to report their girl’s disappearance, backyard dug up

The parents of a missing 11-year-old North Carolina girl have been arrested after waiting three weeks to report her disappearance to their school – but never contacted police.

Madalina Cojocari was last seen on November 23 as state investigators spent hours this weekend digging up the backyard of the family home while scouring the inside for evidence.

Police in Cornelius, north of Charlotte, arrested Diana Cojocari, 37, and Christopher Palmiter, 60, Saturday after the FBI became involved in the search for the youth.

Police say Madalina’s parents waited three weeks until December 14 to visit their daughter’s school and report that she was missing. It has been almost a month since she last attended class.

Both parents have now been charged for failing to report a child’s disappearance to law enforcement.

Madalina Cojocari, 11, was last seen on November 23 with her mother and stepfather, who reportedly waited weeks to report her disappearance

Police in Cornelius, north of Charlotte, arrested Diana Cojocari, 37, and Christopher Palmiter, 60, Saturday after the FBI also became involved in the search for the youth

On Friday night, the FBI released a missing placard containing identifying information for Madalina, who is believed to have disappeared the day before Thanksgiving.

Her parents reported her missing to the Bailey Middle School resource officer on Wednesday, school officials said. Her last day of school was November 22nd. School officials were then required to inform law enforcement.

Madalina was last seen at home in Cornelius.

Her stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, who works as a mechanical designer at a machinery manufacturer, is being held on $100,000 bail. Police have not indicated whether Diana Cojocari is being held on bail.

“On December 17, 2022, around 10:15 this morning, Cornelius Police arrested Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, on charges of allowing a child to disappear before law enforcement. Cojocari has never reported her daughter Madalina Cojocari missing after she was last seen in Cornelius on November 23, 2022,” police wrote in a statement.

Residents of the quiet town seemed shocked by what was happening in the neighborhood.

“I’ve lived here all my life, so I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s strange that it appears she went missing in November and it’s only now being reported,” identified neighbor Sydney Capps told WCCB, watching in disbelief as an officer shoveled to the family home.

Police in Cornelius, North Carolina, near Charlotte, along with the FBI, dug up the front yard of the family home

Police say Madalina’s parents waited three weeks to visit their daughter’s school to report her disappearance

Palmiter, who works as a mechanical designer for a machinery manufacturer, is being held on $100,000 bail

Officers also entered the family home to discover evidence contained within

Madalina was last seen at home in Cornelius. Both parents have since been charged with failing to report a child’s disappearance to law enforcement

Both parents are currently in the Mecklenburg district prison.

Cornelius police have not said if they found anything important when they searched the home. Police have since launched an investigation into Cojocari’s disappearance.

Cojocari was last spotted in jeans, a white t-shirt and a jacket along with purple, pink and white Adidas shoes.

She is described as 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 90 pounds, according to police. She has brown hair and brown eyes, authorities said.

Officials are asking anyone with information about the girl’s whereabouts to call the Cornelius Police Department at 704.892.7773.