Ugh. This case just went from horrifying to infuriating.
In November 2022, Madalina Cojocari mysteriously vanished from her home in Cornelius, North Carolina. She was just 11 years old. What made the case instantly suspicious is the fact she wasn’t officially reported missing to police until 22 DAYS after she disappeared. Her stepfather Christopher Palmiter only reported the girl missing to her school, not to law enforcement. It was the school faculty who eventually called police after they’d exhausted their own avenues to track down the missing child. Her mother Diana Cojocari did nothing at all.
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Naturally police were suspicious of the parents, but a search of the child’s home turned up nothing. All they had on Madalina’s mom was failure to report her child missing. They did charge her, and Diana spent nearly a year and a half in prison. Just a couple months ago, in May, she was released. But that doesn’t mean authorities are done with her. After her release, the Cornelius Police Department made it clear for the first time she was absolutely a suspect in her daughter’s disappearance, posting on their Facebook:
“We continue to seek information on the whereabouts of Madalina Cojocari who hasn’t been seen since November 21st, 2022. Her mother, Diana Cojocari, is considered a suspect in her disappearance.”
Diana is still technically serving a suspended sentence. You’d think that, plus being a suspect in her child’s disappearance, would keep her from being allowed to leave the country. But earlier this month a FB group dedicated to the case posted a pic she supposedly shared from a plane out of the country!
That says she’s on her way from JFK airport to Frankfurt, Germany and then to Bucharest, Romania after nine years away from her home country.
It wasn’t clear this was actually a new photo — but Diana seems to have confirmed it herself on her own FB account. Per The US Sun, she’s been posting photos from the countryside, apparently scenes of picturesque Romania. In the caption for one she wrote, “Si asta e Romania” — which translates to:
“And this is Romania.”
Man, she really looks happy-go-lucky, doesn’t she? If she really just left the country while being a suspect in an active investigation into the disappearance of an 11-year-old… Well, we guess Madalina would be 13 now. Damn. Just seems crazy they’d let her go, right? Well, it sounds like the cops couldn’t do much to stop her.
Cornelius PD Chief David Baucom told the Sun:
“The police department is aware of the posts that indicate Diana Cojocari may have left the country however we are unable to confirm this information. None of her property was released and we are unable to prevent her from leaving the country. She does not currently have any active warrants for her arrest.”
So we guess if they do find anything they’ll still potentially be able to track her down. There is an extradition treaty between the US and Romania.
What do YOU think about Madalina’s mom just living a happy new life after her daughter’s disappearance… the one she didn’t bother reporting??
[Image via FBI/Diana Cojocari/Facebook.]
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