A disturbing and heart-wrenching case came out of Maryland when 3-year-old Nola Dinkins became the center of a horrific tragedy. It all began on June 10, 2025 when Nola’s mother, Darrian Randle, reported her child as missing. She reported to the New Castle Police in Delaware. Randle claimed an unknown man had kidnapped Nola at gunpoint while they were in Delaware.
Amber Alert Leads Police to Maryland Home
Police issued an Amber Alert for Nola following her mother’s kidnapping report. Maryland State Police responded to the child’s last known address in North East, Maryland, as part of standard procedure. Officers arrived at a home on Elk Nest Drive in Cecil County, Maryland, where they encountered Cedrick Antoine Britten. Britten was identified as being Randle’s current boyfriend and told the officers that the child had been left with her mother.
As police continued their investigation, they began to unravel Randle’s report about the alleged kidnapping. The police also discovered evidence of criminal activity leading them to eventually find Nola’s remains in a vacant lot, packed in a suitcase.
False Kidnapping Story Unravels During Questioning
Investigators quickly discovered inconsistencies in Randle’s initial report about the alleged kidnapping. During police interviews, Randle made false and misleading statements about her daughter’s disappearance. The surveillance video showed only Randle leaving the house, with Nola never observed on camera. Inside the home, police detected a strong odor of bleach and cleaning products. Court documents detail how Randle admitted the entire abduction narrative was a lie designed to cover up what actually happened to Nola.
Mother Confesses to Fatal Beating of Three-Year-Old
Randle told police she had beaten Nola with a belt approximately 15 to 20 times on June 9. The beating occurred at Britten’s Cecil County home and continued until the child became unconscious. When Randle realized Nola was no longer breathing, she frantically called for Britten, who attempted CPR on the child in attempts to resuscitate her. After confirming the child had died, the couple began to panic and planned on how to dispose of the body.
Body Discovery Reveals Shocking Details
Police found human remains in a vacant lot in North East, Maryland, around 1:45 p.m. on June 11. This was a day after Randle had reported her daughter falsely kidnapped. The remains of Nola were found and her body was emaciated and wrapped completely in Saran Wrap. Maryland State Police confirmed on July 11 that the remains had been positively identified as those of Nola Dinkins. The child’s body was discovered inside a suitcase that had been abandoned in the vacant lot.
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Boyfriend’s Role in Cover-Up Exposed
Court documents reveal that Britten played a significant role in disposing of Nola’s body. After the child died, Randle and Britten placed her body in his car and drove around before returning home. Randle then put Nola’s body in a suitcase and left it on the basement steps overnight. The next day, she asked Britten to dispose of the suitcase containing the child’s remains.
Criminal Charges Filed Against Both Suspects
Randle was arrested and faces multiple severe charges including first and second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death. She was also charged with additional offenses related to the false kidnapping report. Britten was arrested on July 2 and faces 11 charges related to Nola’s death. His charges include accessory to first and second-degree murder after the fact, failure to report child death, and child abuse resulting in death.
Legal Proceedings and Bond Hearings
Randle is being held in Delaware on a $1 million bond while awaiting extradition to Cecil County, Maryland. State’s Attorney James Dellmyer confirmed she will face trial in Maryland where the alleged crimes occurred. Britten appeared in Cecil County court and was released on $75,000 bond with home detention orders. Online court records did not indicate plea or attorney information for either defendant at the time of reporting.
Community Response and Ongoing Investigation
The case has sent shock waves throughout the local community in Cecil County, Maryland. Nola’s biological father has established a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs and associated expenses. A community vigil was held to honor Nola’s memory, with dozens of local residents gathering to pay their respects. The investigation revealed a custody battle between Randle and Nola’s biological father, with court documents showing attempts to prevent the child from leaving Indiana.
Police discovered additional evidence during their investigation, including gloves found in trash cans and a child-sized blanket with blood stains in Britten’s vehicle. Britten told officers he remained calm during questioning because of his military background and experience with human trafficking cases. The investigation continues as authorities work to determine the complete timeline of events leading to Nola’s death.
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