Maryland couple accused of killing toddler, hiding body in suitcase and making fake kidnapping report, per court documents
A maryland mother, Darrian Randle, and her boyfriend, Cedrick Britten, are accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter and attempting to hide her body before a false Delaware kidnapping report sparked an investigation, according to court documents.
Randle and Britten are both facing charges in connection with the death of 3-year-old Nola Dinkins after an unidentified child's body was found in a Cecil County, Maryland, park on Wednesday, June 11.
False report of Delaware kidnapping leads to investigation
On Wednesday, Randle called New Castle Police in Delaware to report that her daughter had been kidnapped at gunpoint.
An Amber Alert was issued, and Maryland State police responded to the child's last known residence in the state, as in standard practice.
When troopers responded to a home on Elk Nest Drive in Cecil County, Maryland, they found Britten. He identified himself as Randle's current boyfriend, court documents said. He told troopers the child had left with her mother.
Darrian Randle allegedly confesses to daughter's murder
Charging documents detail how Randle made false and misleading statements during an interview with police.
She later confessed that the story about the alleged kidnapping was not true.
Randle told police that she had hit the child about 15 to 20 times with a belt on Monday, June 6, at the Cecil County home.
She said that Dinkins fell to the ground and was not moving. When she realized the child was no longer breathing, Randle called for Britten, who attempted CPR, according to court documents.
After realizing that the child was dead, Randle told police she and Britten put the child in his car and drove around for a while before returning home.
According to the police report, Randle put the child in a suitcase and left it on the basement steps overnight. She later asked Britten to take it somewhere.
Randle told police Britten took the suitcase and later sent her a picture of a park. Documents show that Britten provided a map of where the child's body was disposed of.
Maryland State Police said they found a body in a vacant lot around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. According to court documents, the remains were consistent with an emaciated child wrapped in saran wrap.
A spokesperson said police are still waiting to identify the body and determine the manner of death.
Searching Cedrick Britten's Maryland home
According to charging documents, Britten did not react when troopers arrived at his home and informed him of the abduction allegations. He later told police he was calm because "he used to be special forces in the military and has dealt with human trafficking before."
When troopers checked Randle's home, they noticed gloves in a downstairs trash can and another pair in Randle and Nola's room, according to court documents.
During a search of Britten's car, police found a "child-sized" blanket with a "reddish brown smear consistent with blood," according to court documents.
Britten told police the blanket was not his and he had gotten it from a stranger he met in a park during the summer of 2024.
What's next for Maryland couple?
Randle is being held in Delaware on a $1 million bond and is awaiting extradition back to Cecil County, State's Attorney James Dellmyer said Thursday.
Britten appeared in a Cecil County court Thursday where he was released on $75,000 bond and ordered to serve home detention.