Crime scene tech shows evidence during trial for Maryland mother's alleged murder of her child
A crime scene tech presented evidence Wednesday as the trial for a Maryland mother accused of killing her 3-year-old daughter continued in Cecil County.
Darrian Randle, 32, is accused of assault and child abuse. Detectives found the body of her daughter, Nola Dinkins, in a suitcase in June 2025 after Randle allegedly called in a false kidnapping in Delaware. Her boyfriend, Cedrick Britten, 44, is also facing charges for allegedly helping to hide the child's body.
Randle later admitted to detectives that she "took it too far" and hit the child 15 to 20 times with a belt until she was unconscious. She called Britten to help before determining that Dinkins was dead, according to charging documents.
The trial was in its fourth day on Thursday.
Crime scene photos shown in court
Photos presented to the jury showed Dinkins with severe bruising all over her small body. The assistant medical examiner testified that the child was only 19 pounds, which was considered underweight for her age and height.
The prosecution asked crime scene tech Nicholas Palmer, with the Maryland State Police, to show the jury key pieces of evidence, including the belt allegedly used to beat Dinkins to death, the 15 layers of Saran Wrap that her body was found in, and the suitcase that was used to conceal her body.
Palmer told the court that he spent June 11, 2025, processing the home on Elk Nest Drive where Dinkins lived with her mother and Britten.
The prosecution presented dozens of photos that were taken by Palmer, along with bloody children's clothing and bedding that were found in a trash can at the home.
The jury also saw photos from the day that the suitcase was found inside a trash can outside a home on Dune Road with Dinkin's body inside.
A digital examiner also read text messages between Britten and Randle about parenting Dinkins, along with searches on Randle's phone about terminating her parental rights.
Randle was emotional during the hearing and cried through the presentation of evidence.
