Nola Dinkins: Mom found guilty in 2025 murder of 3-year-old daughter

NEWARK, DE - Darrian Randle has been found guilty of first-degree murder and child abuse charges in the death of her three-year-old daughter, Nola Dinkins, according to Maryland court records as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026. 

Randle and her boyfriend, Cedrick Antoine Britten, were charged after Randle confessed to killing her daughter and fabricating a story about an abduction.

The backstory:

On Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Randle called the New Castle Police Department at around 9:30 p.m. to report that her daughter was kidnapped at gunpoint on the 500 block of Gender Road in Newark, Delaware, according to court documents. 

Officers launched an investigation and issued an Amber Alert. Maryland State Police checked Randle’s home on the 300 block of Elk Nest Drive, where they spoke with Britten, who said the child had left with her mother and was not inside the home, court documents reveal. 

Troopers noticed cameras outside the home and asked Britten to show footage of Randle and her child leaving. 

Britten struggled to pull up video and said half the cameras were down, but was able to show Randle leaving alone. 

Nola Dinkins was not seen in the footage, according to court documents. Inside the house, troopers smelled bleach and found blue nitrate gloves in the trash and in Randle and Nola’s room. 

In Britten’s car, officers found a child-sized blanket with a reddish-brown smear, which Britten claimed was not his, court documents state. 

Randle later confessed to police that her abduction story was false and admitted to beating her daughter with a belt 15–20 times at their home on Elk Nest Drive. 

She said the child fell to the ground and was not moving, and after realizing she was not breathing, called Britten for help.

Britten attempted CPR but the child was deceased, according to court documents. Randle said she and Britten placed Nola’s body in a suitcase and Britten later removed the suitcase from the home, sending Randle a picture of a park.

Britten later showed police a map of where he believed Randle disposed of the body. Law enforcement found a suitcase with remains consistent with a child on the 60th block of Dune Drive in Cecil County, Maryland. 

Once detectives determined Randle’s story was false, they canceled the Amber Alert. Randle and Britten were arrested and charged in connection with the investigation.

Court records show Randle was charged with first and second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death of a minor under thirteen, and other related charges. 

Britten was charged with accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact, failure to report child death, and other related charges.

Randle was held at the Baylor Women’s Correctional Institute in New Castle on $1,000,000 cash bail and awaited extradition to Cecil County, Maryland. Britten was released on a $75,000 cash bond and home detention after a bail review in Cecil County District Court.

Sentencing and ongoing legal proceedings 

What's next:

Randle was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in death of a child under thirteen, and first-degree child abuse involving a course of conduct in the home, according to Maryland court records. 

Her sentencing is set for October 2, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Robert Sentman in Cecil County Circuit Court, Courtroom 4. 

Britten’s legal status and any future proceedings were not detailed in the most recent court records. 

What we don't know:

It is not clear what sentence Randle will receive at her upcoming hearing or if Britten faces additional charges or sentencing.