Mother allegedly murdered a 3-year-old child with a belt, and then fabricated a kidnapping report to the authorities.
3-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Murdered by Mother in Maryland, Boyfriend Charged as Accessory
In Perryville, Maryland, a heart-wrenching story unfolds as a mother, Darrian Randle, 31, is accused of brutally killing her 3-year-old daughter, Nola Dinkins, with a belt, according to court documents obtained by local news outlets. The tragic event led to a false abduction report to the police, initiating an AMBER Alert.
As per Maryland State Police, Randle and her boyfriend, Cedrick Britten, 44, have both been charged in connection to Nola's gruesome death. Initially, Randle informed the police that an unknown man abducted her daughter at gunpoint while they were driving. However, detectives later discovered Randle's story to be a fabrication, prompting a homicide investigation.
Upon searching Randle's residence, which happened to be her boyfriend's home, detectives found a suspicious bloodstain on a blanket and the distinct smell of bleach. court documents obtained by WBAL and WCAU reveal that in an interview with investigators, Randle confessed to filing a false kidnapping report and admitted to beating her daughter with a belt, striking her 15 to 20 times.
Britten reportedly provided information that led investigators to Nola's body, found in a suitcase at Perryville Community Park in Perryville, Maryland. The child's body was discovered emaciated and wrapped in Saran Wrap, according to WBAL.
On Wednesday, Randle was arrested on multiple charges, including first-degree and second-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and false reporting, among others. Britten was arrested and faces charges such as accessory to first- and second-degree murder and failure to report a child death.
Randle is currently being held in Delaware on a $1 million bond, awaiting extradition back to Cecil County. Britton was released on a $75,000 cash bond and placed under house arrest.
While official court documents have not disclosed the specific method by which Nola was allegedly killed, news reports confirm that her mother is now charged with her murder, and the case is being handled as a homicide. The recovered body was reportedly found by authorities, but as of the latest updates, police noted they were waiting for a positive identification.
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[1] Local News Outlet Name1, [2] Local News Outlet Name2, [3] Local News Outlet Name3, [4] WBAL, [5] WCAU
- this tragic case of the 3-year-old girl's alleged murder in Maryland, involving her mother Darrian Randle and her boyfriend Cedrick Britten, has raised concerns and sparked debates in local politics, as well as general news, crime, and justice sections.
- the escalation of war-and-conflicts within families, such as this horrific case of child abuse, would undeniably affect the larger society and require intervention from law enforcement, justice system, and safe-haven programs for victims of crime and abuse.
