Family of missing 11-year-old Cornelius girl asks for continued help in finding her

CORNELIUS, N.C. (WBTV) - Authorities are sharing a handwritten letter said to be from the family of 11-year-old Madalina Cojocari, the Cornelius girl who has been missing for a month.

“We, as a family, are devastated and absolutely heartbroken to learn that Madalina is missing,” according to the letter that was shared on social media by both the Cornelius Police Department and FBI Charlotte. “We Love Madaline and are shocked by these circumstances.”

The letter describes Madalina as a “beautiful, smart, kind and loving 11 year old girl with greatness in her future.”

“We are desperate to find her right now,” the letter stated. “She needs ALL of our help.”

The girl was last seen shortly before Thanksgiving but not reported missing until Dec. 15, when her parents alerted the school resource officer at Bailey Middle School in Cornelius.

Since she was reported missing, Cojocari’s stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, and her mother, Diana Cojocari, have both been arrested and charged with failure to report a missing child.

According to a spokesperson for FBI Charlotte, the letter released Thursday did not come from the mother or stepfather and is being attributed simply to “family,” based upon their wishes.

Both Diana Cojocari and Palmiter maintain they don’t know what happened to Madalina in the weeks since she went missing.

During that time, Palmiter is said to have traveled to and from Michigan. His wife reported to police that she believed her husband “put her family in danger.”

While visiting the family’s home, one officer noticed plywood blocking off an area of the kitchen, according to an arrest sheet. Palmiter allegedly told officers he was going to make a separate apartment.

There was a large police presence at the home on Wednesday, with officers seen through the house windows, potentially taking photographs of the inside of the residence.

Related: Large police presence spotted at home of missing 11-year-old Cornelius girl

Among the vehicles present was a Crime Scene Search truck.

The Cornelius Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State Bureau of Investigation are searching for the child.

Madalina weighs approximately 90 pounds and was last seen wearing jeans, pink, purple and white Adidas shoes, and a white t-shirt and jacket.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Madalina Cojocari is asked to contact the Cornelius Police Department at 704-892-7773 or the North Mecklenburg Crimestoppers at 704-896-7867.

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