On May 31, a jury in North Carolina convicted Christopher Palmiter, the stepfather of missing Cornelius girl Madalina Cojocari, for not reporting her disappearance to law officials. According to FOX 8 Greensboro, the jury in Mecklenburg County delivered their verdict in just 15 minutes after Palmiter’s weeklong trial. In his closing remarks, Austin Butler, Mecklenburg County prosecutor, emphasized Palmiter’s negligence. He stated that Palmiter was responsible for her supervision, and he couldn’t even perform his duty.
Notably, Madalina was last seen on November 21, 2022, disembarking from a school bus in Cornelius, a town just north of Charlotte. At that time, she was just 11. Since then, efforts to locate her have been unsuccessful.
Guilty Verdict for Stepfather and Mother in Case of Missing Cornelius Girl
Recently, Diana Cojocari, Madalina’s mother, admitted guilt to the same charge that Christopher Palmiter faced. Diana and Palmiter are from Moldova. However, she also failed to inform officials about the disappearance of the 11-year-old until December 15, 2022.
Funny enough, the duo claimed that they last saw her at home on the evening of November 23, 2022. According to the same source, the Mecklenburg County judge handed Palmiter a suspended sentence, placing him on 30 months of supervised probation. At that time, Palmiter’s attorney was not available to make an immediate comment. During his trial, Palmiter’s defense team contended that Diana had deceived him into thinking that Madalina was safe. However, the prosecution brought forth evidence from an FBI analyst, which included phone and email records indicating that Palmiter was aware of Madalina’s disappearance and chose not to report it, as noted by FOX 8.
ALSO READ: Supreme Court Rules Against US Citizens Automatically Bringing Noncitizen Spouses to America
Testimony and Claims Surrounding Madalina Cojocari’s Disappearance
During his trial, Palmiter testified that it seemed as though Diana took Madalina somewhere with her Moldovan family. According to him, Diana knew what she was doing when she tucked her away somewhere she would be completely forgotten.
Interestingly, Diana informed school officials and the Cornelius Police that she had not seen Madalina, a 6th grader at Bailey Middle School, since the night of November 23, 2022. Diana stated that Madalina went to her bedroom around 10 p.m. following an argument between Diana and Palmiter, as detailed in court documents.
POLL—Should Abortion Be Legal in Most Cases?
Events Leading Up to the Reporting of Madalina Cojocari’s Disappearance
On November 24, 2022, Palmiter testified that he drove to his relatives’ home in Michigan to get some items after arguing with his wife. An affidavit revealed that Diana discovered Madalina was missing when she checked her daughter’s room around 11:30 that morning.
Fast-forward to November 26, when Palmiter returned from Michigan. Diana asked him about their daughter’s whereabouts. His response? It was the same thing noted in the affidavit. Shortly after reporting Madalina missing last year, her parents wrote a handwritten note expressing their concern for her, which the Cornelius Police Department shared with the public on December 22.
Defense and Prosecution Arguments in Palmiter’s Trial
Palmiter’s court-appointed lawyer provided context for Palmiter’s failure to report by describing the dynamics of his unusual family. Let’s discuss this unusual family a bit. Diana Cojocari moved to the U.S. in 2015 after meeting Palmiter on the GlobalLadies website in 2008. Brandon Roseman, Palmiter’s lawyer, called her “delusional,” manipulative, and totally in charge of her daughter’s education and upkeep. On the contrary, assistant DA Austin Butler dismissed this defense.
According to Butler, the couple was appropriately charged with a Class I felony for failing to report Madalina’s disappearance. As a North Carolina resident, you are mandated to report a missing child. Failure to do that is a prosecutable offense. This is usually serious when the supervising adult does not know the child’s whereabouts for 24 hours. Palmiter testified that he treated Madalina as his daughter, always playing her favorite horse video game, Star Stable, and regularly checking on her after school. However, Butler argued that Palmiter was responsible for Madalina’s safety, noting that Cojocari had pleaded guilty to the charge the previous week.
WATCH: These Are the Least Welcoming Cities in the U.S.
What Was the Judge’s Decision?
Eventually, Mecklenburg County Superior Court Judge sentenced Christopher Plamiter to 30 months of supervised probation. Despite the maximum sentence being 17 months in jail, Palmiter’s otherwise clean record spared him from further incarceration.
It’s so sad that this case ended with a sentence reflecting his then-good behavior rather than the gravity of the case.
You Might Also Like:
“We Heard Our Fans,” McDonald’s Officially Announces $5 Meal
North West Stuns with $11,000 Balenciaga Bag, Twinning with Mom Kim Kardashian
Zoë Kravitz, Denzel Washington, Honor Lenny Kravitz During Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony
ACLU Files Lawsuit Against Biden’s Controversial Asylum Rule
Customers Fume as Self-Checkout Machines Request for Tip