TIMELINE UPDATES in RED / contradictions in PURPLE
(I have marked NOV 21 as the "Last seen" date rather than NOV 23, as that is the last time we have confirmation from someone outside the family that M was seen. This may differ from how the media is counting.)
M = Madalina Cojocari, 11-year-old missing from home at
18413 Victoria Bay Rd, Cornelius, NC
SDadCP = stepfather Christopher Palmiter
MomDC = mother Diana Cojocar
i, extended family are “well-known and well-connected musicians in Moldova” [25]
----------------------------------------
~2011
M is born
2014
MomDC participated in Eastern European weight loss TV show; got engaged during filming to SDadCP, whom she did not know prior [27]
JUL 8, 2020
MomDC posted FB video with comment "Is something wrong of being violent?" - VIDEO
? OCT (“end of October”)
MomDC and M last communicated with M’s grandfather (MomDC’s father) in Moldova [22]
W NOV 16
[TIME?] - According to SDadCP, this was the last time he saw M [15]
M NOV 21 - MADALINA COJOCARI LAST SEEN ------------------------------------------
According to school counselor, this was the last time M attended school [15] - cf T NOV 22
4:59PM - M recorded disembarking from school bus at her stop - last independent sighting [18]
View attachment 389079
T NOV 22 - DAY 1
[TIME?] M attended classes at Bailey Middle School [10] - cf M NOV 21
12PM - According to MomDC's report on Dec 15, M was missing since this time [16] - cf W NOV 23
W NOV 23 - DAY 2
NO SCHOOL [4]
[PM] - According to MomDC, M was last seen at home [1] at 10PM [10] by MomDC when M went to bed [12] - cf T NOV 22
[PM] - According to MomDC, she and SDadCP had an argument that night [12]
Th NOV 24 - DAY 3
THANKSGIVING - NO SCHOOL [4]
[AM] - According to MomDC, SDadCP drove to Michigan to "recover some items"; he claimed he did not see M before he left [12]
11:30AM - According to MomDC, when she went to check on M, she was gone [12]
F NOV 25 - DAY 4
NO SCHOOL [4]
Sa NOV 26 - DAY 5
7PM - According to MomDC, SDadCP returned from his trip to Michigan and she asked him if he knew where M was, but he did not; she did not make missing persons report because she was "worried to might start a conflict" between her and SDadCP; he claimed that he asked MomDC then and in weeks following if she had "hidden" M from him [12]
Su NOV 27 - DAY 6
[PM] According to neighbors, there were fires burning in the yard at the residence "at all hours" beginning on this day [19@2:22]; items burned included couch cushions; Cornelius FD chief acknowledged blaze but couldn’t comment on it [26*]
M NOV 28 - DAY 7
T NOV 29 - DAY 8
W NOV 30 - DAY 9
Th DEC 1 - DAY 10
F DEC 2 - DAY 11
Sa DEC 3 - DAY 12
Su DEC 4 - DAY 13
M DEC 5 - DAY 14
T DEC 6 - DAY 15
W DEC 7 - DAY 16
Th DEC 8 - DAY 17
F DEC 9 - DAY 18
Sa DEC 10 - DAY 19
Su DEC 11 - DAY 20
M DEC 12 - DAY 21
2PM [17] - SRO tried to make a home visit to address M's truancy, but no one answered at residence [12]; truancy packet was left [15]
T DEC 13 - DAY 22
W DEC 14 - DAY 23
[TIME?] - MomDC called school counselor and scheduled meeting to discuss truancy, saying she would bring M [15]
Th DEC 15 - REPORTED MISSING - DAY 24 --------------------------------------------------
1:15PM - M reported missing to Bailey Middle School SRO by "parents" [1] MomDC supposed to bring M to meeting at school about truancy but arrived without her, admitting that she did not know where M was [12]
F DEC 16 - DAY 25
[PM] FBI, SBI searched residence, "spent hours digging in the ground in her backyard, and searching for evidence inside the home" [3]
Sa DEC 17 - SDadCP & MomDC ARRESTED - DAY 26 ---------------------------------------
[TIME?] during visit to home [on this date?], LE noted that kitchen was blocked off; SDadCP claimed it was to create another apartment [20]
12:29AM [6] - SDadCP arrested for failure to report disappearance of child, held on $100k bond [2] - ARREST SHEET
[AM] According to neighbors, there were fires burning in the yard at residence up to this time [19@2:22]
10:12AM - MomDC arrested for failure to report disappearance of child, held on $100k bond [7]; MomDC stated that she “believed her husband put her family in danger”; family in Moldova had told her to call the police but she did not; stated that a bookbag and clothes were missing [20] - ARREST SHEET
Su DEC 18 - DAY 27
[PM] - FBI, SBI, CPD returned to residence, collect evidence, bring in K9 unit, tow vehicle [8]
View attachment 388683
M DEC 19 - DAY 28
[AM] - Search included Lake Cornelius (aka Lake Davidson) [9]
[AM] - SDadCP appeared in court, bond increased to $200k [9]; represented by public defender; both parents stated they do not know where M is [11]
T DEC 20 - DAY 29
[AM] - MomDC appeared in court [9]; bond increased to $250k [13]; electronic monitoring would be required should she makes bond [14]
7PM - Prayer vigil held in common area near home [10][21]
W DEC 21 - DAY 30
Interview with MomDC’s father in Moldova published [22] - cf ? OCT
5PM - Cornelius PD returned to residence, possibly taking photos [23]
Th DEC 22
AM - Members of M’s extended (Palmiter [25]) family released letter requesting public’s help in finding her [24]
7PM - Prayer vigil held at Cornelius Town Square [10]
F DEC 23 - DAY 32
PM - SDadCP’s FB page updated with new profile pic, removal of other info [27]
T DEC 27
PM - Cornelius PD released video update - stated this is a “serious case of a child whose parents clearly are not telling us everything they know”[30]
W DEC 28
PM - COURT DATE: Bond hearings for SDadCP & MomDC scheduled [25] - not held, but instead new bond conditions agreed upon with judge [29]
- If released, MomDC and SDadCP would surrender their passports [29]
- If released, SDadCP would also be required to wear an electronic monitoring device [29] (already a condition for MomDC - cf T Dec 20) [29]
------------
SOURCES
[1] C
ornelius PD FB post - Dec 15
[2]
Stepdad of missing 11-year-old - WSOC - Dec 16
[3]
FBI, SBI search Cornelius home - WCCB - Dec 16
[4]
Bailey MIddle School calendar
[5]
Police asking for public's help... VIDEO - WCNC - Dec 17
[6]
Mecklenburg Co arrest record for Christopher Palmiter (saved on
Wayback)
[7]
Mecklenburg Co arrest record for Diana Cojocari (saved on
Wayback)
[8]
FBI, SBI Return to Home of 11-Year-Old... - WCCB - Dec 18
[9]
Search for Madalina Cojocari expands - WCNC - Dec 19
[10]
Police search lake in Cornelius... - Charlotte Observer - Dec 19
[11]
Stepfather of missing 11-year-old... - WBTV - Dec 20
[12]
@DerekDlngr tweet THREAD - WJZY - Dec 20
[13]
@DerekDlngr tweet THREAD - WJZY - Dec 20
[14]
@MaryCalkinsTV tweet - WBTV - Dec 20
[15]
Arrest report: Mom, dad say missing girl last seen - WSOC - Dec 20
[16]
Mom has 'hindered the investigation' - WBTV - Dec 20
[17]
@SydneyHeiberger tweet - Fox46 - Dec 20
[18]
Cornelius PD press release tweet - Dec 20 - incl link to bus
VIDEO
[19]
Madalina Cojocari Missing - WCNC VIDEO - Dec 17
[20]
Mother of Missing Cornelius girl - WBTV - Dec 21
[21]
@observer_photog tweet - Charlotte Observer - Dec 21
[22] C
e declară bunelul fetiței dispărute în SUA - stri.md - Dec 21
[23]
Large police presence spotted at home - WBTV - Dec 21
[24]
‘We are desperate to find her right now’ - WSOC - Dec 22
[25]
New insight into Madalina Cojocari’s extended family - WCCB - Dec 22
[26]
Family of missing Madalina Cojocari, 11, lit a fire – DailyMail *TABLOID - Dec 22
[27]
FBI releases new photos - WCCB - Dec 23
[28]
@DerekDlngr tweet THREAD - WJZY - Dec 28
[29]
Judge sets new bond conditions - WSCOC - Dec 29
[30]
Cornelius PD FB video - Dec 27
MOOs -
I really appreciated the recent FB video from Cornelius PD. The captain was very well-spoken, and she laid out very well what LE is doing on the case and that there is evidence and information that they are not releasing that will be important for eventual prosecution. (Which, yes, I think at this case, everyone knows that's what's going to be coming.) This may end up like the recent Beth Capaldi case, where once the grand jury presents the suspect(s) with what they know, they may realize they're cornered and try to strike a plea bargain in exchange for leading LE to the body. The real question, IMO, is which of the parents will cooperate first, and I think that will depend on the evidence and who it shows to be
more culpable. Adding some NC laws below for reference:
For
homicide, NC laws state:
"A murder which shall be perpetrated by means of... imprisonment, starving, torture, or by any other kind of willful, deliberate, and premeditated killing, or which shall be committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of any arson, rape or a sex offense, robbery, kidnapping, burglary, or other felony committed or attempted with the use of a deadly weapon shall be deemed to be murder in the first degree, a
Class A felony, and any person who commits such murder shall be punished with
death or imprisonment in the State's prison for life without parole as the court shall determine"
NC § 14-17
Simply for
disposal of a body, NC laws state:
"Any person who, with the intent to conceal the death of a child, fails to notify a law enforcement authority of the death or
secretly buries or otherwise secretly disposes of a dead child's body is guilty of a
Class H felony."
NC § 14-401.22
"Any person who
aids, counsels, or abets any other person in
concealing the death of a person is guilty of a
Class A1 misdemeanor."
NC § 14-401.22