Nola Dinkins dies in fatal North East child abuse case

Nola Dinkins dies in fatal North East child abuse case

Fatal North East child abuse death of Nola Dinkins – Obituary

Three-year-old Nola Dinkins of North East, Maryland, was killed after being repeatedly beaten by her mother, Darrian Randle, according to recently released court documents. Authorities said Randle admitted to hitting her daughter between 15 and 20 times with a belt, which led to the child becoming unresponsive and ultimately dying.

On Tuesday night, Randle falsely reported to New Castle police in Delaware that her daughter had been abducted at gunpoint in Newark, triggering an Amber Alert. As part of the investigation, Maryland State Police were sent to Randle’s last known location—her boyfriend Cedrick Britten’s home on Elk Nest Drive in North East.

At the residence, Britten informed police that Nola had left with Randle. Troopers noticed several surveillance cameras around the home and, upon reviewing the footage, found no trace of the child leaving with her mother. Inside the house, police detected the strong scent of bleach. A later search of Britten’s vehicle revealed a child’s blanket stained with what appeared to be blood. Britten claimed the blanket wasn’t his and said it came from a stranger in a park the previous year.

After being questioned, Randle admitted that there had been no kidnapping. She confessed to hitting Nola repeatedly with a belt on Monday at Britten’s house. When the child collapsed and stopped breathing, Randle and Britten attempted CPR but were unsuccessful. They then placed the child’s body in a suitcase and stored it in the basement overnight. The next day, Britten allegedly disposed of the suitcase in a nearby vacant lot.

Police said Britten provided a rough map during questioning, which led authorities to an area off Dune Drive in North East. There, officers discovered a suitcase containing the remains of a young child wrapped in Saran Wrap. The location was directly behind Britten’s home.

The medical examiner is working to formally identify the remains and determine the official cause of death.

Both Randle and Britten are now in custody. Randle faces multiple charges, including first- and second-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.

She is being held in Delaware on $1 million bond, pending extradition to Maryland. Britten, charged as an accessory to the crimes, was granted release on a $75,000 bond and is under home detention.