Finding Madalina: Opening arguments began Friday in Christopher Palmiter trial
CHARLOTTE (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The trial for the stepfather of missing Cornelius girl Madalina Cojocari is now underway after a jury was seated Friday morning.
Opening arguments got underway before 2 p.m. Friday, May 24, and the state began calling witnesses. Christopher Palmiter is charged with not reporting his stepdaughter missing in the fall of 2022.
Prosecutors said the school counselor at Madalina’s school left Palmiter five voicemails over 23 days and he never responded until his wife went to the school without Madalina, and that’s when authorities discovered she was missing.
Both the defense and the prosecution reminded jurors that this trial is not about what happened to Madalina. They said jurors won’t get that answer during the trial.
“Twenty-three days from Nov. 2 to Dec. 15. Twenty-three days went by where he didn’t know the location of Madalina Cojocari,” Prosecutor Austin Butler said.
“I haven’t seen my child in 24 hours because I’ve been in the office. Does that mean I’m supposed to report them missing? You have to know the why in this case, and not make assumptions,” Defense Attorney Brandon Roseman said.
Diana Cojocari pled guilty earlier this week to the same charge Palmiter is on trial for now.
She was sentenced to time served for the 17 months she was at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center. The judge in that case noted that Diana Cojocari had already served the maximum sentence for the crime while in jail. She walked out of jail Tuesday, surrounded by lawyers and cameras.
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The unusual nature of Madalina’s disappearance has led to various searches in locations that could possibly be connected to the child’s disappearance. The case has also garnered a great deal of media attention, even internationally, due to Diana Cojocari being from the eastern European country of Moldova.
Diana Cojocari still faces the possibility of being deported for her guilty plea to the failure to report charge, which is a felony. So far, there are no indications of when or if that will happen.
Madalina Cojocari remains missing to this day. Palmiter and Diana Cojocari have given no indication on her whereabouts, and have stated to police that they did not know where the girl was. Diana Cojocari’s family have previously said that they believe Madalina may be alive and being sex-trafficked.
However, court filings so far have claimed Diana Cojocari had feared Palmiter and had been possibly looking to leave him, prior to Madalina’s disappearance.
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