CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — More than 30 search warrants were executed in relation to the arrest of Diana Cojocari, the mother of the missing Cornelius girl, court records show.
They were carried out in December 2022, when the then-11-year-old Madalina was reported missing, and throughout 2023. Items seized included a notebook, folder, jail belongings and communication on a phone app. But the records indicate a startling revelation about the family’s property.
When the Cornelius detective arrived at the home the day of missing-persons report — Dec. 15, 2022 – he spoke to Diana’s husband and Madalina’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter. The warrant says that Palmiter told him multiple items had been burned in a fire pit on the property, including Madalina’s mattress, clothing, a Halloween costume and family photos. Carpet also had been removed from the home and burned in the pit.
The warrant states that officers located where dirt had been dug up and recently removed.
In October 2023, a warrant was issued for the WhatsApp app used by Diana Cojocari. It states that through phone records, officers determined that she recieved a WhatsApp message from a number based in St. Cloud, Florida, where Cojocari has an associate. The person reportedly asked her for assistance in helping Diana and Madalina Cojocari leave North Carolina.
Both Palmiter and and Cojocari were charged with failure to report a missing person, and a week later, another warrant was issued to seize the contents of bags the couple had taken with them to the Mecklenburg County jail. The warrant noted that upon their arrest, both Palmiter and Cojocari had personal belongings including wallets, credit cards and jewelry that were not previously seized.
Cojocari pled guilty on the charge, and after being released on time served, has left the country. Palmiter was found guilty in a jury trail last June.
In interrogation tapes released after the trail, Palmiter told police that he did not fully realize Madalina was missing until Dec. 15, 2022.
