CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jury selection is complete in the fourth day in the trial for Christopher Palmiter, the stepfather of missing Cornelius girl Madalina Cojocari.
On Friday, 12 jurors and two alternates were selected for the trial. The 12-member jury is made up of 11 men and one woman, WCNC Charlotte's Jesse Pierre learned. The two alternates are women.
Cojocari was last seen getting off a school bus in Cornelius in November 2022. Palmiter pleaded not guilty to failing to report Madalina missing and has been out of jail since his release last August. Palmiter is the husband of Diana Cojocari, Madalina's mother, who was released from jail on Tuesday after pleading guilty to failing to report the girl's disappearance.
Palmiter's defense pushed for a delay in the trial, alleging the state was holding back key evidence in the case. However, a judge denied that motion during Tuesday's pre-trial hearing. His attorneys say they also recently received a summary of an interview with Diana Cojocari's cousin, who says Diana told him she was in danger and had to leave the country with Madalina, and would like more time to examine it.
Palmiter's defense prepared a subpoena for Diana Cojocari to appear in court on May 23, but it's unclear if or when she'll take the stand. Cojocari's attorney said there are concerns and asked about pleading the Fifth Amendment due to the active investigation surrounding Madalina. Superior Court Judge Matt Osman said it would depend on the questions asked, with Palmiter's defense arguing Cojocari should testify.
Osman agreed that there was no need for Cojocari to be in the courtroom every day and could only need to be present to take the stand, even if she pleaded the Fifth to avoid incriminating herself. Osman eventually decided to keep the subpoena open and will make a final decision on Cojoari testifying later in the trial.
Meanwhile, jury selection continued. About 50 potential jurors were brought in to answer questions from the judge, the defense, and the prosecutor. The goal is to get 12 jurors who will be fair and impartial during this trial.
Osman made it clear that jurors could only use the information provided from the trial to form opinions and essentially a verdict. Jurors are also forbidden from discussing the trial and researching any information about this case. More than a dozen potential jurors were excused for various reasons. Jury selection continues on Thursday.
Osman said the trial will likely last until the end of next week with the possibility of entering a third week, based on current evidence that's been presented.
During court Wednesday, Palmiter's defense argued the importance of having Cojocari testify.
"Any conversations that Diana Cojocari had about a covert effort to try to hide this girl away without Mr. Palmiter's knowledge is extraordinarily relevant, especially in a discovery sense," Palmiter's attorney said.
The conversation was discovered in a seven-page document summarizing an FBI interview with Diana Cojocari's cousin that Palmiter's defense received on May 14. Diana allegedly told her cousin she was in danger, not from Palmiter but from a third party, and that she and Madalina needed to find a safe place. According to the interview summary, Diana's cousin had been in contact with her mother, "who apparently is engaged in a conspiracy with Diana to help Diana and Madalina flee the country."
Diana also told her cousin that plans made with Palmiter to arrange for her and Madalina to stay with his family in Michigan fell through. Cojocari's cousin urged her to call the police, but she refused, saying she had enough money to live for around three months. She was also sending large sums of money out of the country.
The state says turning over certain evidence would jeopardize active efforts to find Madalina. The judge agreed there was no need to delay the trial and denied Palmiter's request for additional evidence.
Palmiter maintains he doesn't know where Madalina is. Recent court filings suggest new evidence related to Madalina's school records will be included in the trial. Records also appear to show that an expert witness — a computer forensics expert with the FBI — is set to testify.
On Thursday, Osman said that jury selection is expected to be complete by Friday.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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