Mom reported 3-year-old was abducted, now she’s charged with murder, MD cops say
_fitted.png "Nola Dinkins’ mother is charged with murder in connection to her death in Maryland, officials said.")
Two people are charged in connection to the death of a 3-year-old girl in Maryland.
On June 10, Darrian Randle, 31, reported to police that her 3-year-old daughter was kidnapped at gunpoint, according to a Facebook post by the New Castle County Police.
Randle told officers she pulled over when her daughter Nola became upset and a man came to her vehicle with a gun and took Nola, police said.
An Amber Alert was issued for the girl.
However, the alert was canceled after multiple agencies began an investigation and determined Randle had lied about the abduction, according to police.
Then, after further investigation, authorities found human remains in a vacant lot in North East, a June 11 news release from the Maryland State Police said.
The human remains found are consistent with that of a young girl, but authorities are waiting for autopsy results to confirm if it’s Nola.
Randle is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death of a minor under 13, and other related charges, state police said. She is in custody at the New Castle County Division of Police awaiting extradition.
Cedrick Antoine Britten, 44, is also charged. Britten is believed to be Randle’s boyfriend, WBAL reported. He is charged with accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact, failure to report child death and other related charges, according to the Maryland State Police. Britten is in police custody in Maryland.
Attorney information for Randle and Britten was unavailable.
In an interview with investigators, Randle told them she beat her daughter to death, court records said, according to WCAU.
“Randle confessed to physically striking [her daughter] with a belt approximately 15 - 20 times about her body,” the station reported based on court documents.
Randle said Nola was unresponsive, so she and Britten put her in Britten’s car and drove around, according to court records, WCAU reported. They then went back home and put her body in a suitcase before Britten later dropped it off at a park, the court documents said.
The human remains that investigators found were “consistent with an emaciated child” and wrapped in plastic wrap, WBAL reported.
“We just can’t fathom how a human being can do this to another human being,” neighbor Chad Marshall told the news outlet. “Hopefully, they get what they deserve as far as jail time and justice is served for the little girl.”
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 3:42 PM with the headline "Mom reported 3-year-old was abducted, now she’s charged with murder, MD cops say."
