Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child abuse. Please take care while reading.
The heartbreaking saga of Nola Dinkins, the 3-year-old Delaware girl initially reported as kidnapped at gunpoint, has taken a devastating turn.
According to Baltimore’s WMAR, newly released court documents reveal that Dinkins’ mother, Darrian Randle, has confessed to beating the toddler and hiding her lifeless body in a suitcase overnight—a revelation that crushes the false narrative that launched an Amber Alert earlier this week.
The alleged gunpoint abduction
On Tuesday, Randle called Newark Police, claiming Nola had been abducted by an armed man while they were parked on Gender Road. The story prompted law enforcement to issue an immediate Amber Alert and launch a multistate search for the child.
However, according to court documents, Maryland State Police were quick to find holes in Randle’s story. When officers arrived at the Northeast, Maryland home shared by Randle and her boyfriend, Cedric Britten, they reviewed security footage showing Randle leaving the house without Nola on the day she claimed the abduction occurred.
Police also noticed a strong smell of bleach in the home, and inside Britten’s BMW, investigators found a pink-and-white blanket with what appeared to be a bloodstain.
Her body was left in a suitcase overnight
Randle ultimately confessed to fabricating the kidnapping story. She admitted to striking Nola 15–20 times with a belt on Monday. The beating left the child unresponsive and not breathing. According to Randle, Britten attempted CPR, but the child was already dead.
Instead of calling for help, the couple allegedly placed Nola’s body in the trunk of their car, drove around, then returned to the home. Randle told investigators they later transferred Nola’s body into a blue suitcase and left it on the stairs to the basement overnight.
On Wednesday, based on Britten’s statement to investigators, Maryland State Police found a body wrapped in Saran Wrap inside a suitcase. The remains were consistent with those of an emaciated child. While formal identification is pending, authorities believe the remains are Nola’s.
A reported abduction leads to murder charges
Randle now faces charges including first- and second-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and filing a false police report. Britten, meanwhile, was released to home detention after posting bond and is charged as an accessory.
The community remains shaken by the turn of events, which have gone from a hopeful search to a deeply disturbing confession. The case now centers not around a mysterious abductor, but on the child’s own mother. This case is ongoing, and Maryland State Police continue their investigation.
