Maryland mother convicted of killing 3-year-old, hiding body after fake kidnapping report

A Maryland mother was convicted of killing her 3-year-old daughter and hiding her body in a suitcase Monday after a six-day trial in Cecil County. 

Darrian Randle, 32, was found guilty of murder, child abuse, neglect and assault after the body of her daughter, Nola Dinkins, was found in June 2025, wrapped in Saran Wrap and left in a suitcase. The verdict was announced in less than two hours.

The incident was brought to light after Randle falsely reported that Dinkins had been kidnapped at gunpoint in New Castle County, Delaware. The investigation into the fake kidnapping prompted Maryland State police to visit the child's last known place of residence, a home where Randle's boyfriend, Cedrick Britten, was staying. 

Britten was charged with allegedly helping to hide Dinkins' body. His trial is scheduled for August 2026.

Randle will also face felony charges in Delaware for filing a false police report. 

Randle is scheduled to be sentenced in October 2026. She is facing a maximum penalty of life in prison without parole.

WJZ has reached out to Randle's attorney for comment. 

"She was a doll baby"

Nola's family continues to grieve a year since the child was found dead.

"She was only three. What could a 3-year-old have done to bring this upon her?" said Velma Dinkins, Nola's grandmother. "With the devastating loss of our 3-year-old Nola, whom I fondly call my Nola girl, each day will get better, but she will forever be missed."

The family said they will remember Nola's smile and how she lived, not the way she died.

"She knew what she wanted, she knew what she liked, and she knew what she didn't like, and she would tell you," Dinkins said. "She was a doll baby."

Investigation into child's death

During an interview with detectives, Randle admitted to hitting the child with a belt nearly 20 times until she was unconscious. She called Britten to provide CPR. However, the child was already dead, according to court documents. 

Randle put the child's body into a suitcase and asked Britten to take it, according to charging documents. 

Britten later provided detectives with a map of where he left the child's body, officials said. Police found Dinkin's remains in a trash can near a home close to the woods. 

Testimony during Randle's trial 

Randle cried through the verdict and closing arguments, as the prosecution played clips of Randle's confession from June 10, 2025.

Randle admitted in the interview to using a brown belt that was kept on the banister to beat Dinkins several times, including the day she died.

She said after Nola died, she and her boyfriend Cedrick Britten wrapped the little girl in plastic Saran Wrap that was kept in the basement, before putting her body in a suitcase and dumping it in a trashcan.

Investigators testified they found the brown belt on the banister and the plastic wrap in the basement, just as Randle said, which the prosecution argued further corroborated the facts of what happened.

Gavin Patashnik and Jessica Borits, who prosecuted the case, told the jury, "Darrian Randle beat Nola Dinkins to death because she did not want her."

"We certainly feel that justice was delivered in Cecil County today. We're very satisfied with the outcome, but at the same time we have to remember this is a sad event, not a happy event," Cecil County State's Attorney James Dellmeyer said.

The defense, however, argued Britten was the one responsible for Nola's death, referencing text messages where he said he did not "sign up to be a baby daddy."

Detectives and crime scene experts testify

Several law enforcement and crime scene experts testified during Randle's trial, revealing video from interviews with detectives, text messages between Randle and Britten, and photos from the home where investigators believe the murder took place. 

Dinkins' father, Dominique, also testified during the trial, saying that after he and Randle broke up, he did not see Dinkins from October 2024 to January 2025. Dominique said that when he finally saw his daughter again, he noticed scars on her body. Before Dinkins' death, Dominique reached out to Randle several times to see his daughter, though she rarely responded, evidence showed. 

Randle was seen crying on multiple occasions as evidence was presented, including recordings of her confessing to hitting Dinkins. 

At one point, a digital expert shared searches that were made from Randle's phone, which included how to remove blood stains; boarding school for pre-schoolers; and how to get away with murder. 

A child abuse expert also explained that she believed Dinkins faced child torture, which involves the presence of physical maltreatment, emotional maltreatment and neglect. 

According to court documents, Dinkins lost more than seven pounds in a month and weighed 19 pounds when she died. The average weight for a child her age is about 31 pounds, according to the Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.