Mom Of 11-yr-old Didn't Report Her Missing For Weeks As 'Scared Of Husband'

The mother of an 11-year-old child who went missing admitted to authorities that she waited almost three weeks to report her absence out of concern for her husband, the girl's stepfather.

According to Madalina Cojocari's mother Diana Cojocari, she was last seen getting off a school bus on November 21 and went missing on November 23.

Cojocari, 37, and her husband Christopher Palmiter, 60, had a fight the day before she vanished, and Palmiter left in a rage that evening for Michigan.

Three days later, on November 26, Palmiter left for North Carolina and when he got there, Cojocari informed him that the little girl had gone from the residence in Cornelius, a town close to Charlotte.

A week before she vanished, Madalina was last seen by Palmiter, according to the authorities.

Madalina's backpack and some of her clothes were reported missing from the house by Cojocari.

She informed the authorities that the young girl was from Moldova and had no local family and no friends with whom she would have remained.

Cojocari continued by saying she had spoken to relatives in Moldova who urged her to call the police but she had refused their advice.

It is unknown when Cojocari married Palmiter and how long she and her daughter have been in the country.

Cojocari and Palmiter were both taken into custody and accused of failing to notify a missing child.

There is nothing we won't do to find her, according to an FBI spokesman who is currently in charge of the search.

'As part of the normal investigative process, we are expanding our search area outside of the home where Madalina was last seen and that now includes Lake Cornelius,' the police department said on Tuesday.

Officials from the court stated that Cojocari had thus far "hindered the investigation" during her initial court appearance on Tuesday.

They claimed she only 'begrudgingly' informed the police about her daughter going missing.

Even though her school made numerous calls in the weeks that followed, nobody was informed that Madalina was missing.

On December 12, a counselor and a school resource officer from Bailey Middle School visited the Cojocari residence.

They left a "truancy packet" when the door was unanswered.

Cojocari informed the school counselor that she would bring Madalina to class the following day December 14 by phone.

Cojocari revealed to the resource officer at that meeting that Madalina had actually been gone for days and had been last seen entering her room to get ready for bed at around 10 o'clock on November 23.

Cajocari also disclosed to the administration of the school that she and her husband had fought that evening, which led to him driving to his parent's house in Michigan to collect his stuff.

On November 24, around 11.30 am, Cojacari allegedly went to check on Madalina and discovered she was no longer in her bedroom.

On November 26, Cojacari reported to authorities that she asked Palmiter when he got back if he knew where Madalina was, and he replied that he didn't.

The two were being held at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center following their arrest on December 17.

Their house was thoroughly searched by police, who were also spotted using shovels to dig up the front yard. It's unclear what they discovered that might be of interest.

Her stepfather Palmiter, a mechanical designer for a company that makes machinery, is being held under a $100,000 bond.

On Tuesday, a $250,000 bond was set for Diana Cojocari, with the condition that if she paid it, she would be subject to electronic monitoring.

Madalina is approximately 90 pounds, has dark brown hair, and is 4 feet 10 inches tall.

She wore a white t-shirt, white jacket, and pink, purple, and white Adidas shoes when she was last seen.