The body of three-year-old Nola Dinkins was discovered wrapped in Saran Wrap inside a suitcase in a vacant lot in North East, Cecil County, Maryland, on June 11, 2025. The child’s mother, Darrian Randle, and her boyfriend, Cedrick Antoine Britten, now face multiple charges in connection with the girl’s death.
The case began when Randle, 31, reported her daughter missing to New Castle County Police in Delaware on June 10, 2025. She initially claimed that an armed man had abducted Nola at gunpoint near Gender Road in Newark, Delaware, around 7:15 p.m. on June 9. An Amber Alert was issued following the report.
As part of standard procedure in missing-children investigations, Maryland State Police were asked to check Randle’s last known address. Troopers went to the home of Randle’s boyfriend, 44-year-old Cedrick Antoine Britten, on Elk Nest Drive in North East, Cecil County. When officers arrived, they found only Britten, who told them the child had left with her mother.
During the investigation, troopers noticed security cameras outside the house and requested to view the footage. The video showed only Randle leaving the house, with the child never observed on camera. Officers also detected a strong odor of cleaning products, specifically bleach, inside the residence.
When authorities searched Britten’s vehicle, they discovered a child-sized blanket with a reddish-brown smear consistent with blood. Britten claimed the blanket was not his and that he had received it from a stranger in a park during summer 2024.
Under questioning by Delaware authorities, Randle eventually admitted the kidnapping report was false. According to charging documents, she confessed to physically striking Nola with a belt approximately 15 to 20 times during the daytime hours on Monday, June 9, 2025, at Britten’s home in Cecil County.
Randle told investigators that after she finished striking Nola with the belt, the child fell to the ground and was not moving. She stated that she picked Nola up and realized she was no longer breathing. Randle called for Britten, who attempted CPR, but they realized the child was dead.
According to court documents, Randle and Britten then drove around for some time with the girl’s body in Britten’s vehicle before returning home. They placed the child’s body in a blue suitcase and left it on the basement stairs overnight. The following day, Randle asked Britten to dispose of the suitcase containing the body.
Britten removed the suitcase and later sent Randle a picture of a park, according to charging documents. During a police interview on June 11, 2025, Britten drew a map showing where he believed the girl’s body had been disposed of.
Using Britten’s map, investigators located the child’s remains in a suitcase in the area of Dune Drive in North East, Cecil County, around 1:45 p.m. on June 11. Officials reported that the remains were consistent with an emaciated child and were completely wrapped in Saran Wrap.
The Maryland State Police confirmed on July 11, 2025, that the remains were positively identified as those of Nola Dinkins.
Randle faces multiple charges, including first- and second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in the death of a minor under 13, and filing a false police report. She is being held on one million dollars cash bail at the Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution in New Castle, Delaware, and awaits extradition to Maryland.
Britten was initially arrested on charges including accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact and failure to report child death. On July 2, 2025, he was taken into custody on additional charges, including child abuse involving death. He now faces 11 total charges related to Nola’s death. Two of the charges, including child abuse resulting in death, carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
A judge granted Britten a 75,000-dollar bond against the state’s request and released him on home detention. His preliminary hearing was scheduled for July 11, 2025. If convicted, both defendants face the possibility of life imprisonment.
The case has deeply affected the North East community, with residents expressing shock at the allegations. A vigil was held for Nola, organized by community members and CASA of Cecil County to ensure the child would not be forgotten.
Nola’s father, Dominique Dinkins, established a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs, memorial service expenses, and attorney fees. In the fundraiser description, he wrote about his daughter: “Our beloved Nola Q. Dinkins, my one and only child, brought an infectious energy and warmth to everyone she met.”
