Newly Released Warrants: Madalina Cojocari’s Mother Wanted Relative To “Smuggle” Them Away From Step-Father

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Newly released search warrants in the Madalina Cojocari case were released on Wednesday. The 11-year-old Cornelius girl was last seen on November 21, 2022.

The warrants were to search Madalina’s home on Victoria Bay Dr. in Cornelius and a Toyota Prius believed to be used by Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari.

According to the warrants, Diana had “extensive communication” with a distant relative. The relative told Cornelius investigators that Diana asked him to assist in “smuggling” her and Madalina away from their home. He also said that Diana told him she wanted a divorce from her husband, Christopher Palmiter.

Criminal defense attorney Mark Jetton says this new information is troubling.

“Certainly she’s asking for help and when you start using the word smuggling that tends to mean in a very private not everybody knowing way,” says Mark Jetton, criminal defense attorney.

Investigators went through phone records. The report shows they found “multiple” calls to phone numbers belonging to suspects of drug trafficking investigations.

In the search of the Toyota Prius on February 13th, investigators found Romanian and Moldovan passports for Madalina Cojocari, a Romanian passport for Diana Cojocari, and a debit card belonging to Diana from a Moldovan bank.

The search warrant for the home states it was also searched in February.

The Mecklenburg County Clerk’s Office originally denied our request for the search warrants earlier on Wednesday. However, the clerk’s office sent the warrants over, along with this statement:

“Our office has been made aware that all search warrants related to this matter are sealed and not to be released. However, being that the two returned search warrants for the Green 2008 Toyota Prius and the residence at Victoria Bay Dr. have already been made public, they will now be made available for viewing and inspection, going forward.”

Diana Cojocari and Christopher Palmiter remain in a Mecklenburg County jail.