2 One year after 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari vanished, her family and authorities remain desperate for answers. Her mother has pleaded guilty to failing to report her missing, but the search for Madalina continues.
**Cornelius, North Carolina -** One year has passed since 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari vanished from her hometown in North Carolina, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and a grieving family.
Madalina was last seen getting off a school bus in her hometown of Cornelius on November 21, 2022. Weeks later, on December 15, 2022, her mother, Diana Cojocari, reported her missing to police.
Diana Cojocari and Madalina's stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, were arrested and charged with failing to report a missing child. Cojocari pleaded guilty to the charge on Monday, admitting that she failed to promptly notify authorities that Madalina was missing.
Palmiter was released from jail in August 2023 after posting bond, but Diana remains in custody. She faces the possibility of being deported back to her home country of Moldova.
Despite numerous leads, extensive searches, and the release of new photos, Madalina's whereabouts remain unknown. Her disappearance has puzzled investigators and left her family in anguish.
"We're not going to stop until we find her," Diana Cojocari said in a statement last year. "We're not going to give up."
Madalina's grandmother, Rodica Cojocari, believes her granddaughter was kidnapped and taken from her home in Cornelius. She has accused Palmiter of trafficking Diana and Madalina for $5 million.
Search warrants unsealed earlier this year revealed that Diana Cojocari had contacted a distant relative about "smuggling" Diana and Madalina from their home before Madalina disappeared.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about Madalina's whereabouts to contact the Cornelius Police Department.
"We're asking for the public's help," Cornelius Police Chief David Baucom said. "We need to know what happened to Madalina."
The investigation into Madalina's disappearance is ongoing, and authorities are determined to find her and bring closure to her family.
"We're not going to give up," Baucom said. "We're going to continue to investigate this case until we bring Madalina home."
