UNITED STATES

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The mother of a missing North Carolina girl was charged in connection with her disappearance, pleaded guilty, left jail and then fled the United States all within a two-year span.Madalina Cojocari was last seen getting off a school bus in her hometown of Cornelius, just north of Charlotte, on Nov. 21, 2022, when she was 11 years old. Madalina’s mother and stepfather did not report her missing until Dec. 15, 2022, despite telling police the last time they saw their daughter was at home the evening of Nov. 23, 2022.”It never leaves my mind. And I feel comfortable saying it’s the same way for all the detectives and everybody that’s invested so much time in this case,” Cornelius Police Department Chief David Baucom told Fox News Digital. “There were times at the onset of [the] investigation where some of us didn’t go home for 48 hours because we were working the case that hard and chasing down leads and everything else. Of course, that’s only sustainable for any person for so long. But … she never leaves our minds.”Madalina’s mother, Diana Cojocari, and her stepfather, Christopher Palmiter, were arrested and charged with failing to report a missing child in 2022. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MADALINA COJOCARI’S MOM’S GUILTY PLEA?Diana pleaded guilty in May and argued that the time she had spent in jail leading up to that point was enough time served. A Mecklenburg County jury found Palmiter guilty of failure to report a missing child to law enforcement on May 31 after a weeklong trial, and he was sentenced to 30 months of supervised probation.MADALINA COJOCARI MISSING FOR 1 YEAR: ‘NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL WE FIND HER’Authorities released Diana from jail around that time, and neighbors reported seeing her back in her quiet, suburban neighborhood in early June. Baucom said she and Palmiter “were never actually living together” after their respective releases from jail, but Diana did appear at the home they formerly shared in the early days of June.In late June, Cornelius police named Diana as the prime suspect in Madalina’s disappearance, but she had already left the United States, likely for Moldova, by that point.MISSING NORTH CAROLINA GIRL’S MOTHER WANTED TO SMUGGLE 11-YEAR-OLD FROM HOME: WARRANT”And then she eventually left the country. I do not know the exact date that she left the country,” Baucom said, adding later that there were no restrictions that could have prevented her from fleeing America.Baucom noted that when Diana was initially arrested in 2022, “[S]he was charged with and served time for the only charge that we could sustain during the initial part of the investigation.”Police were able to get in contact with Diana while she was still in Cornelius after her release, but officials have since lost track of her exact whereabouts and have reached out to federal authorities for help tracking her down overseas.MADALINA COJOCARI: NORTH CAROLINA POLICE RELEASE NEW PHOTO OF 11-YEAR-OLD MISSING SINCE NOVEMBER”We have made that request, but we have not heard back if it’s been fulfilled yet,” the police chief said of the Cornelius Police Department’s request to federal officials.Diana was in the U.S. on a green card. In May, Palmiter filed for a divorce against his estranged wife.MISSING MADALINA COJOCARI: TIMELINE OF NORTH CAROLINA GIRL’S DISAPPEARANCE THAT WENT UNREPORTED FOR WEEKS”It’s unfortunate that she went back to Moldova, but our case here is still ongoing, and we’re going to continue to investigate it,” Baucom said when asked if Diana’s decision to leave the country will impede efforts to find Madalina, who would be 13 years old today. “While this investigation has been complicated from the word go … from us being behind three weeks right off the start, it definitely doesn’t make our investigation any easier with her not being here. But it doesn’t change what we’re doing. We’ll continue to investigate.”Based on their investigation so far, Cornelius police do not believe Madalina ever left the United States, though they are not dismissing any possibilities.”It’s still a very active case. We still meet regularly on it. We have a detective assigned to it. So by no means is it a cold case, and I just want to make sure the community and really whoever else sees this … [knows] our goal is to find Madalina,” Baucom said.FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XDiana told school officials and Cornelius police she hadn’t seen her daughter, a sixth-grader at Bailey Middle School who was born in Moldova, since she went to her bedroom on Nov. 23, 2022, around 10 p.m. after she and Palmiter got into an argument, court documents state.Palmiter said that on Nov. 24, 2022, he drove to his relatives’ home in Michigan “to recover some items” after an argument with his wife. Diana apparently went into her daughter’s room around 11:30 that morning and discovered the 11-year-old was gone, according to an affidavit.WATCH: MADALINA LAST SEEN GETTING OFF SCHOOL BUS IN 2022When Palmiter returned home to Cornelius on Nov. 26, Diana apparently asked him where their daughter was. Palmiter asked her the same question in return, the affidavit states.Police did not find out about Madalina’s disappearance until a school truancy report from the 11-year-old’s middle school.GO HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS DIGITALBailey Middle School resource officers, along with a school counselor, attempted a home visit at the Cojocari address on Dec. 12 after Madalina had not shown up for school since Nov. 21. No one answered the door, and the school counselor left a truancy package at the home.Search warrants unsealed last year suggest Diana and her mother contacted a distant relative asking if he would help in “smuggling” Diana and Madalina from their Cornelius home before Madalina disappeared, according to phone records obtained by the Cornelius Police Department.Authorities are asking anyone with information about Madalina’s whereabouts to contact the CPD at 704-892-7773.



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Publish date : 2024-09-29 08:00:11

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A death row inmate was beaten to death by three other inmates at a prison in Southern California, according to officials.Alberto Martinez was killed in the Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County on Thursday, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said in a news release. His death is being investigated as a homicide.Another inmate, Tyler A. Lua, was observed by prison staff striking Martinez and knocking him to the ground before he continued to hit him. Lue eventually stepped away from Martinez, but two other inmates — Jorge D. Negrete-Larios and Luis J. Beltran — began striking Martinez as he laid motionless on the ground.Staff then stopped the beating using pepper spray and a baton strike. Two incarcerated-manufactured weapons were found at the scene.CALIFORNIA MAN ACCUSED OF THROWING BOMB IN COURTHOUSE SAID GOVERNMENT TOOK HIS FIREARMS AWAY: DOJMartinez sustained injuries consistent with an incarcerated-manufactured weapon. No staff or other inmates were injured.Emergency responders were called to the scene and medical staff performed life-saving measures on Martinez. He was transported to the prison’s treatment area and was pronounced dead at 2:20 p.m.Movement has been limited in the yard where the alleged attack happened.Lua, Negrete-Larios and Beltran were moved to restricted housing pending an investigation into the incident.Martinez, 46, was most recently received from Orange County on Aug. 17, 2010, and placed on condemned status for first-degree murder. He was also sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for attempted first-degree murder with an enhancement for street gang activity and two years for street gang activity, a sentence that was to be served concurrently with the condemned sentence.CALIFORNIA OWNER OF SQUATTER-INFESTED HOLLYWOOD HILLS MANSION APOLOGIZES, OFFER TO REPAY TAXPAYER FUNDSHe acted as the getaway driver in a botched plot to kidnap and murder a businessman, according to the Orange County Register. The plot was reportedly orchestrated by the businessman’s sister.According to the Los Angeles Times, Martinez was a powerful member of a Mexican mafia who orchestrated murders while on death row and communicated with a woman from Mexico using a cellphone he was prohibited from having.Lua, 25, was received from San Bernardino County on Jan. 31, 2019, and sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder with an enhancement for use of a firearm. During his incarceration, he was sentenced to two additional years for having a controlled substance in prison.Negrete-Larios, 33, was received from Riverside County on July 5, 2016, and sentenced to 32 years and four months in prison for attempted second-degree murder with enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury, discharge of a firearm and street gang activity in commission of a violent felony.Beltran, 31, was received from Los Angeles County on April 6, 2023, and sentenced to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder with enhancements for intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury or death and possession of a firearm as a felon.There are a total of 623 inmates with condemned sentences in California prisons, according to the state’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.In 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed an executive order that instituted a moratorium on the death penalty in the Golden State. The order also called for the repeal of the state’s lethal injection protocol and the immediate closing of the state’s execution chamber at San Quentin State Prison.The last execution in California was carried out in 2006.



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Publish date : 2024-09-29 04:25:12

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Former President Trump was caught up in the excitement of the longstanding University of Alabama and University of Georgia rivalry, participating in a wide-ranging interview on college football and the intersection of politics.In an exclusive OutKick interview with Clay Travis, Trump highlighted the “energy” from the Alabama vs. Georgia game on Saturday night.”This is really big time football, and it’s great to see,” Trump said.The audience inside the stadium cheered as Trump was shown on the jumbo TV screens, on a video board, watching the game with Sens. Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville and Steve Daines of Montana.TRUMP ARRIVES AT ALABAMA-GEORGIA GAME TO CHANTS OF ‘USA,’ ‘FOUR MORE YEARS’When asked about his appeal with the younger voter demographic, Trump said that his campaign was “way up.””We’re way up with young people. It’s an honor. They’re very smart. And she [Kamala Harris] berated them, saying that ‘they aren’t smart’ and, I’ll be honest, they’re a lot smarter than her,” he said.”There has never been energy like there is now. And I guess it’s me, but it’s also when they look at our country and what has happened. Our country is going bad, and it’s in a very dangerous place right now. But we love our country, and we’re going to make it great again.The changes to the NFL’s kickoff caught Trump’s attention, with the Republican nominee praising college football with sticking with the previous rules. “Big time college football is as big as the NFL,” he said. “I don’t know what they’re doing with the kickoff return in the NFL. And I don’t want to get involved in controversy, of course, but it looks so bad. “And I noticed that they hadn’t’ done that in college, and they shouldn’t do it,” he said. “And I think the NFL should go back. And maybe it is a little bit more dangerous, but I doubt that it’s any more dangerous. It’s football.””I think they made a terrible mistake in doing that,” he said.Trump turned his attention to Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, who attended Saturday’s game between Minnesota and Michigan in Ann Arbor.”He got booed out of the stadium,” he said. “And you saw the hand that we got – it was a little bit different.” FANS BOO TIM WALZ AS HE LEAVES MICHIGAN-MINNESOTA GAME: ‘GET OUT OF HERE’”We’ll have to see what happens on November 5. I think it’s the most important day in the history of our country,” Trump said. “That’s going to be the biggest election we’ve ever had because our country is going bad. I used to say that they are destroying, no they have destroyed our country, and we’re going to bring it back.” Trump turned his attention to seven-time NFL Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady, who made his debut in the broadcast booth for FOX Sports.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM”I think he’s done really well. And I think he’ll do really well. He’s a winner, he’s a champion,” Trump said when asked about his performance. “And, there are a lot of people that are jealous of him, so they’re always going to say, no matter how well he does, they’ll stay as negative as they can.””I think he’s doing fantastically well,” he said.



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Publish date : 2024-09-29 04:29:45

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The game everyone had circled on their calendars lived up to the hype, and some.Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia contest was a rematch of last season’s SEC title game, which Bama won as the eighth-ranked team in the country – Georgia had been ranked No. 1 after winning 42 of their previous 43 games, but Bama’s victory propelled them into the College Football Playoff, and knocked Georgia out.Well, this matchup, like their last one, was simply epic.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMAfter squandering their own four-touchdown lead, No. 4 Alabama scored a late touchdown to come away with a 41-34 win over No. 2 Georgia in an instant classic.Alabama scored four touchdowns in the first 19 minutes of the game to take a commanding 28-0 lead, leading to everyone thinking the game was over early. But, Georgia fought all the way back. Georgia chipped away to make it a 30-15 game, and then after Bama kicked a field goal to go back up three posessions, Georgia found the end zone when they desperately needed it. They failed the two-point attempt, but after forcing a punt, the Bulldogs scored again. All of a sudden, Bama’s lead shrunk to just four points. Georgia then forced another punt, all while Bama did not waste the clock, getting the ball back for a shot at the lead with 2:42 to go and all their timeouts. Well, it only took one play for Georgia to take the lead, as Carson Beck found Dillon Bell for a 67-yard score to go up, 34-33. Beck’s rush on the two-point conversion was short, but nonetheless, the comeback was complete, and Bama, who had dominated early, suddenly was in desperation mode.No worries – it was the 17-year-old, Ryan Williams, who took a 75-yard pass from Jalen Milroe to the house, and after a successful two-point conversion, Bama was back up seven points.The Bulldogs faced a 4th and 2 with 1:22 to go at the Bama 47, and Beck found Colbie Young for the first down, and three plays later, the Bulldogs were in the red zone. But, Beck was intercepted after going for the end zone, and with the touchback, Bama was able to knee out the clock to get the incredible victory.FANS BOO TIM WALZ AS HE LEAVES MICHIGAN-MINNESOTA GAME: ‘GET OUT OF HERE!’After allowing the four touchdowns early, Georgia finally scored a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Later on, though, Beck was called for an intentional grounding in his own end zone, resulting in a safety. But apparently, despite trailing 30-7, all Georgia needed was halftime.Beck found Arian Smith for a 12-yard touchdown for the first score of the third quarter, and the two-point conversion brought them to within 15. A Bama field goal, though, made it a three-possession game late in the third. On Georgia’s ensuing drive, Beck lost a fumble. But they weren’t dead, and the comeback began on their next drive. However, they couldn’t get a stop when they needed it most, and Beck’s final turnover came at the worst time.The game is Georgia’s first loss of the season, and after losing just one in a 43-game stretch, they’ve now lost two in their last five. They are 45-3 in their last 48 games, but all three losses have come to Alabama (although, one of those victories is the national championship in 2022 against the Crimson Tide). Bama, meanwhile, improved to 4-0.Milroe finished with 373 yards on 27-for-33 passing, throwing two touchdowns and running for another two, while the 17-year-old Williams made sIx catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. Beck turned the ball over four times, but still managed to throw for 439 yards and three touchdowns. Smith went for 132 yards, while Bell added 100.The game was also headlined by Donald Trump’s appearance. The former president, and current Republican nominee, received an ovation from fans while walking in the halls and when he was shown on the jumbotron.Alabama will head to Vanderbilt next week, while the Bulldogs will host Auburn.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.



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Publish date : 2024-09-29 03:48:18

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Fifty “exceptionally well-preserved” Viking skeletons have been unearthed in Denmark by archaeologists from the Museum Odense, west of Copenhagen, along with five cremated graves. “It is truly unusual to find so many well-preserved skeletons at once, like those discovered in Åsum,” museum curator Michael Borre Lundø said in a statement. “This discovery offers extraordinary opportunities to perform a wide range of scientific analyses, which can reveal more about the general health, diet, and origins of those buried. The analyses might even reveal whether the buried vikings were related, which would be particularly significant, as this has never been examined in similar graves.”1,000-YEAR-OLD VIKING TREASURE FOUND HIDDEN IN DIRT: ‘UNIQUE FIND’The skeletons were found in the Danish village of Åsum not far from Odense, Denmark, over the past six months and were buried with artifacts from outside the country, proving that they traveled internationally for trade, according to the museum. “The graves in Åsum are so well-preserved that it may be possible, for the first time, to conduct special aDNA analyses on most of the skeletons — meaning DNA analyses on ancient material,” Sarah Croix, associate professor and PhD from the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Aarhus University, said in a statement. “It will be incredibly exciting to learn where these people came from and whether the same families were buried here across multiple generations.”High water levels and good soil conditions kept the skeletons from decomposing, Lundø said. “Normally when we excavate Viking graves, we’d be lucky if there were two teeth left in the grave besides the grave goods,” he explained, “but here we have the skeletons fully preserved. The skeletons are so amazing. They are so well preserved. There are five fingers, five toes. And that opens up a whole new set of possibilities for discoveries.” Some of the skeletons were buried with items such as knives, brooches, glass pearls and even a wagon. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER”The woman was buried in the wagon she likely traveled in,” Lundø said. “We must imagine that she was buried with her finest clothes and belongings. She was given a beautiful glass bead necklace, an iron key, a knife with a silver-threaded handle, and, most notably, a small shard of glass that may have served as an amulet. At the foot of the wagon, there was a finely decorated wooden chest, the contents of which we still do not know.”Another grave next to the woman’s contained a bronze three-lobed brooch, a red glass, an iron knife, and a small piece of rock crystal, which  Lundø noted isn’t natural to Denmark. He said it was likely imported from Norway. EXPERTS STUNNED AFTER CORPSE OF MEDIEVAL CATHOLIC SAINT IS UNCOVERED, FOUND IN REMARKABLE CONDITION”Several items from the many graves in Åsum indicate that the buried Vikings were connected to international trade networks that developed during the Viking Age,” he said. The excavation took place in preparation for renovating an electrical grid. While those graves were for high status individuals, the majority of skeletons belonged to a community of farmers, the museum said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe burial ground covers around 2,000 square meters east of Odense and is believed to be from the 9th and 10th centuries. Reuters contributed to this report. 



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Publish date : 2024-09-29 02:13:27

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