A missing North Carolina girl's mother has been identified as a suspect in her November 2022 disappearance, according to police reports released on Tuesday.
Madalina Cojocari, who was 11 years old at the time, was last seen getting off a school bus at 4:59 p.m. on Nov. 21, 2022.
The Cornelius Police Department stated on Facebook that Madalina's mother, Diana Cojocari, is now considered a suspect in her daughter's disappearance. The authorities emphasized their commitment to finding Madalina, making it their top priority since learning of her disappearance.
In May, Cojocari pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of failing to report a missing child. She confessed to law enforcement that she had not seen Madalina since Nov. 23, 2022, and did not report her daughter missing until Dec. 15, 2022.
While law enforcement has not disclosed the specific reasons for naming Cojocari as a suspect, no arrests or charges have been made at this time.
Legal expert Timothy Cannady, not directly involved in the case, speculated that new evidence may have emerged, potentially indicating Cojocari's involvement in her daughter's disappearance beyond the failure to report it.
Authorities have pursued leads from the Charlotte area to the western North Carolina mountains but have not located any signs of Madalina in nearly two years.
Cojocari and her husband, Christopher Palmiter, Madalina's stepfather, did not notify the police of Madalina's disappearance until weeks after she was last seen. They admitted to authorities that the last time they saw Madalina was at home on the evening of Nov. 23, 2022.
The focus of the investigation has now shifted to Cojocari, the individual responsible for Madalina's care, as the search for the missing girl continues.
