Trial begins for Maryland mother accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter

A trial began Monday for a Maryland mother accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter in Cecil County. 

Darrian Randle, 32, is facing multiple charges, including murder, assault, and child abuse, after investigators found the body of her daughter, Nola Dinkins, in a suitcase in June 2025. 

Jury selection

More than 100 potential jurors filed into a Cecil County courtroom Monday as both the prosecution and defense teams worked to determine the best jurors to hear the case. 

The jury pool was asked questions, like who had heard about the case. They were also asked if they had strong feelings about the case, to which 74 people said yes. 

When asked if they had concerns about viewing graphic evidence, 20 people stood up. 

Randle sat with her lawyer as the trial got underway on Monday. 

3-year-old killed 

In June 2025, Randle called police in New Castle, Delaware, to report that her daughter had been kidnapped. 

During the investigation, New Castle Police requested that Maryland State Troopers visit Randle's last known address as standard procedure. 

According to court documents, troopers went to a home in North West where they met Randle's boyfriend, Cedrick Britten. He allowed troopers to search his car, where they found a baby blanket that appeared to have blood on it. 

During an interview with New Castle Police, Randle admitted that the kidnapping was fake. She allegedly told police that she had hit her daughter with a belt 15 to 20 times before she fell to the ground and was not moving. 

After realizing her daughter was dead, Randle "placed Nola Dinkins into a dark blue suitcase," which belonged to Britten, according to charging documents. 

During a separate interview, Britten showed police on a map where he disposed of the suitcase. Police later found the bag with the remains of an "emaciated child" wrapped in Saran Wrap, charging documents show.