Mother Charged After 3-Year-Old Nola Dinkins Found Dead in Maryland
A 33-year-old Delaware woman has been charged with first-degree murder following the disappearance and death of her 3-year-old daughter, Maryland State Police confirmed Wednesday.
Darrian Randle and her boyfriend, Cedrick Antoine Britten, 44, are both facing serious charges in connection with the death of Nola Dinkins. Randle is charged with first- and second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in the death of a child under 13, and other related offenses. Britten is charged as an accessory to first- and second-degree murder, failure to report a child’s death, and additional crimes.
The case began Tuesday night when Randle falsely reported to New Castle County Police that Nola had been abducted at gunpoint in Newark, Delaware, prompting an Amber Alert. Authorities now say that the account was fabricated.
By Wednesday afternoon, Maryland State Police investigators discovered human remains believed to be that of a child in a vacant lot in North East, Maryland. Elena Russo, spokesperson for the agency, stated that while the remains are “consistent with a child,” the medical examiner is still working to confirm the identity and determine the exact cause and manner of death. An update from the autopsy is expected Thursday.
Randle and Britten were living together with Nola in North East, located in Cecil County, Maryland. Britten is currently in police custody and will appear before a Cecil County District Court judge. Meanwhile, Randle was also charged in Delaware with filing a false police report related to the Amber Alert. She was arraigned and held at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $1 million cash bail while awaiting extradition to Maryland.
Authorities say the initial report claimed a man abducted Nola at gunpoint after Randle pulled over to calm her daughter. Investigators quickly determined the story was not true.
The Maryland State Police are leading the investigation with assistance from the FBI. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Maryland State Police Northeast Barrack at 410-996-7800.
Mother Charged After 3-Year-Old Nola Dinkins Found Dead in Maryland was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com
