TIMELINE UPDATES in RED
(
I stepped a way for a few days for the holidays; please @ me with links if I missed anything!)
M = Madalina Cojocari, 11-year-old missing from home at
18413 Victoria Bay Rd, Cornelius, NC
SDadCP = stepfather Christopher Palmiter
MomDC = mother Diana Cojocari; extended family are “well-known and well-connected musicians in Moldova” [25];
father is a teacher and mother an accountant [31]
----------------------------------------
~2011
M is born
2014
MomDC participates in Eastern European weight loss TV show; gets engaged during filming to SDadCP, whom she did not know prior [27]
JUL 8, 2020
MomDC posts 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
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 disembarki
ng from school bus at her stop [18]
View attachment 389079
SOMETIME BETWEEN T NOV 22 TO Th DEC 15
According to CPD, “one of the family members [MomDC] was in the Madison County area of NC” with a Toyota Prius between 22 Nov and 15 Dec [32]; deputy stopped to check on her at pull-off area west of Marshall, near Lonesome Mountain; M was not in the vehicle [33]
T
NOV 22 - DAY 1
MC 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
[TIME?] - MomDC's vehicle reportedly seen in Weaverville, NC [35]
W NOV 23 - DAY 2
NO SCHOOL [4]
[PM] - M 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 claims he did not see M before he left [12]
11:30AM - According to MomDC, she woke up feeling sick, as if she’d been under anesthesia [31] and when she went to check on M, she was gone [12] but that she’d been looking for her “non-stop” since then [31]
F NOV 25 - DAY 4
NO SCHOOL [4]
[TIME?] - MomDC's vehicle reportedly seen in Weaverville, NC at an IHOP [35]
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 claims 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 acknowledges blaze but can’t comment on it [26*]
F DEC 2 - DAY 11
MomDC has extensive communication with a "known subject" in "ongoing T3 drug/narcotic trafficking investigations"; asked for help in "smuggling" her and MC away from residence [36]
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
[TIME?] - Around this date (“Roughly, I don’t know, 13, 14”) MomDC cried on the phone to her sister AuntCP, stating that she was afraid SDadCP was listening to her phone conversations, knew M was gone but did not know where, and that when she had woken up on W 23 NOV, she’d felt sick, like she’d been waking up from anesthesia [31]
W DEC 14 - DAY 23
[TIME?] - MomDC calls school counselor and schedules meeting to discuss truancy, saying she will 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, claiming that she did not know where M was [12]
F DEC 16 - DAY 25
[PM] FBI, SBI searching 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 note 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]
[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]; 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 with clothes was missing [20]
Su DEC 18 - DAY 27
[PM] - FBI, SBI, CPD return to residence, collect evidence, bring in K9 unit, tow vehicle [8]
View attachment 388683
M DEC 19 - DAY 28
[AM] - Search includes Lake Cornelius/Lake Davidson [9]
[AM] - SDadCP appears in court, bond increased to $200k [9]; represented by public defender; both parents state they do not know where M is [11]
T DEC 20 - DAY 29
[AM] - MomDC appears in court [9]; bond increased to $250k [13]; electronic monitoring will be required should she makes bond [14]
7PM - Prayer vigil held in common area near home [10][21]
W DEC 21 - DAY 30
AM - Interview with MomDC’s father in Moldova published [22] - cf ? OCT
5PM - Cornelius PD return to residence, possibly taking photos [23]
Th DEC 22 - DAY 31
AM - Members of M’s extended (Palmiter [25]) family release 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]
SOMETIME BETWEEN T DEC 27 and F JAN 6
LE canvassing in Madison County; search dogs spotted along Lonesome Mountain Road [33]
T DEC 27 - DAY 36
PM - Cornelius PD release video update - states it is a “serious case of a child whose parents clearly are not telling us everything they know”[30]
W DEC 28 - DAY 37
PM - COURT DATE: Bond hearings for SDadCP & MomDC scheduled [25] - not held [29]
PM - New bond conditions agreed upon with judge [29]
- If released, MomDC and SDadCP will 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]
F DEC 30 - DAY 39
Warrants for Dec 21 search of residence temporarily sealed [33] - cf T Jan 10
F JAN 6 - DAY 46
LE asks for info about anyone seeing MomDC or Prius in Madison County (about 3hrs from M’s home) between Nov 22 and Dec 15 [33]
T JAN 10 - DAY 50
Warrants for search of residence unsealed [34] - cf F Dec 30
------------
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
[31]
Mărturia exclusivă făcută de mama Mădălinei Cojocari - Antena3.ro - Dec 29
[32]
Missing Madalina Cojocari: Police seek information - Jan 6
[33]
Find Madalina: Police ask anyone who saw mom, car - Jan 6
[34]
Search warrants released - WCNC - Jan 10
[35]
Missing Girl Madalina Cojocari and Her Mom's Car Seen - Inside Edition - Jan 30
[36]
Madalia Cojocari's mom asked relative to 'smuggle' them away - Mar 8
------------------------------
MOOs
Nope. This new info in no way gets MomDC off the hook, IMO. The phone conversation took place on
Dec 2, which was AFTER MomDC was seen in Madison County
without MC (Nov 22). It was AFTER the supposed big fight where MC went to bed and was never seen by either of her parents again (Nov 23). It was AFTER SDadCP returned home from his mystery trip to Michigan (Nov 26). It was AFTER the backyard bonfires started (Nov 27).
I could definitely see a plausible scenario where MomDC might let this shady 'distant relative' think that she's just trying to escape a bad relationship, rather than coming right out and saying 'Hey, something bad happened to MC and I'm going to need help going into hiding.' Looking at the sequence of events, though (unless there's evidence that MomDC had contact with this 'distant relative' prior to the Dec 2 call), there's still too many unanswered questions for me to believe that this 'distant relative' is really just hiding MC for her own good.