In a case involving the disappearance of an 11-year-old child, a North Carolina jury found the girl’s stepfather guilty in just 14 minutes.

According to authorities who made the CCTV tape public, Madalina Cojocari, a sixth-grader from Cornelius, North Carolina, who liked horses, was last seen getting off her school bus on November 21, 2022.

Weeks later, on December 15, Diana Cojocari, her mother, reported her missing, as PEOPLE previously reported. According to court documents seen by Queen City News, she allegedly blamed her husband, Christopher Palmiter, for the delay in reporting, claiming she was afraid of his response.

According to the court records, Palmiter allegedly took a car to Michigan around the time his stepdaughter vanished.

Madalina’s body has never been located, and her mother and stepfather were arrested and accused with neglecting to notify her disappearance two days after the late missing person’s report.

In a two-page handwritten letter dated December 22, 2022, Madalina’s extended family wrote, “Madalina is a beautiful, smart, kind, and loving 11 year old girl with greatness in her future.” Police posted the letter on Facebook. “She needs ALL of our help, and we are desperate to find her right now.”

The four-foot ten-inch girl, who weighed ninety pounds, was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, pants, a jacket, and Adidas sneakers in shades of pink, purple, and white, according to the authorities.

In a videotaped press conference during the early stages of the search, Capt. Jennifer Thompson of the Cornelius Police Department stated that hundreds of investigators had taken part in the case, following nearly 250 leads, canvassing the area, and interviewing hundreds of people in North Carolina, as well as across state lines and even abroad. The FBI looked into the matter as well.

At the time, Thompson stated, “One of the challenges in this case, simply put, was that we were not notified she was gone, a delay of three weeks.”

According to Fox News, Palmiter’s defence attorneys asserted during the May trial that the stepfather had been duped by his wife into thinking Madalina was safe.

Palmiter, who testified in his own defence, told the jury, “I believe Diana took her somewhere with her Moldovan family,” according to the site. “I think Diana has hidden her in a place where no one will find her.”

However, according to the source, an FBI analyst who testified for the prosecution showed phone and email records that indicated Palmiter was aware that his stepdaughter was missing but chose not to notify the authorities.

According to The Charlotte Observer, ABC11, and WCNC, Palmiter was found guilty by a Charlotte, North Carolina jury on Friday, May 31, of neglecting to report her absence.

In May, Madalina’s mother entered a guilty plea to the same allegation and received a prison sentence ranging from six to seventeen months. According to ABC 11, she was later released after serving 510 days.

According to the site, Palmiter was given a 30-month supervised probationary period by a judge for his involvement in the girl’s disappearance. According to his attorney, they want to appeal the punishment.