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A Maryland woman has been found guilty in the tragic death of her three-year-old daughter after authorities uncovered the child’s remains inside a suitcase following a fabricated kidnapping report. The case shocked communities in both Maryland and Delaware and led to a lengthy investigation that exposed the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
Name: Darrian Randle
Age: 32
Residence: Maryland, United States
Darrian Randle became the focus of a major criminal investigation in June 2025 after reporting that her young daughter had been abducted. Investigators later determined that the kidnapping claim was entirely false, leading authorities to uncover evidence that linked Randle directly to the child’s death.
Name: Nola Dinkins
Age: 3 Years Old
Nola Dinkins was a three-year-old girl whose disappearance initially triggered an extensive search effort. Authorities later discovered that the child had died before the reported abduction and that her body had been concealed inside a suitcase.
On June 10, 2025, Darrian Randle contacted authorities and claimed that an unidentified armed man had kidnapped her daughter in New Castle County, Delaware. However, investigators quickly identified inconsistencies in her statement.
Following further examination of the evidence, law enforcement officials concluded that the reported abduction never occurred. Randle was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with her daughter’s disappearance.
Court documents later revealed that Nola had died on June 9, 2025, at a residence in North East, Maryland, where Randle’s boyfriend, Cedrick Britten, had been staying.
Prosecutors alleged that Randle repeatedly assaulted the child, inflicting numerous blows that ultimately caused her death. According to investigators, after the girl became unresponsive, Britten attempted lifesaving measures, including CPR, but was unable to revive her.
Authorities stated that the pair then transported the child’s body in a vehicle before returning to the residence and placing the remains inside a suitcase.
Investigators later learned that the suitcase containing Nola’s remains was left inside the home overnight. The following day, Randle allegedly instructed Britten to remove the suitcase from the property.
Law enforcement officers eventually recovered the suitcase from a vacant area located near Britten’s residence. The child’s body was found wrapped in plastic inside the luggage.
During the investigation, Britten reportedly provided detectives with information and a hand-drawn map indicating the location where the suitcase had been abandoned.
The investigation involved cooperation between multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Maryland State Police and the New Castle County Division of Police.
Authorities traced the events surrounding the false kidnapping report and subsequently uncovered evidence pointing to homicide. Their search ultimately led to the recovery of human remains consistent with those of a young child.
The discovery confirmed investigators’ suspicions and transformed the missing-child case into a murder investigation.
On June 8, 2026, a jury found Darrian Randle guilty of:
The conviction marked a significant development in a case that drew widespread public attention throughout the region.
Name: Cedrick Britten
Age: 44
Cedrick Britten has been charged as an accessory to first- and second-degree murder in connection with Nola Dinkins’ death. Prosecutors allege that he assisted in concealing the child’s remains after the fatal incident.
His criminal trial is scheduled to begin in August 2026.
Darrian Randle is expected to be sentenced in October 2026. She faces the possibility of life imprisonment without the chance of parole if the court imposes the maximum sentence allowed under law.
The conviction of Darrian Randle closes a major chapter in a heartbreaking case involving the death of three-year-old Nola Dinkins. What initially appeared to be a child abduction investigation ultimately revealed a far more disturbing reality, leading to murder and child abuse convictions. The legal proceedings continue as authorities pursue charges against Cedrick Britten and prepare for his upcoming trial.