Death of Toddler with Hoosier Ties Leads to Murder Charges
MARION, Ind — Two people are now facing charges in connection with the disappearance and death of 3-year-old Nola Dinkins, who had recently lived in Marion, Indiana.
On Tuesday, police in Delaware issued an Amber Alert after Nola’s mother, 31-year-old Darrian Randle, told them an unknown man with a gun had taken her daughter. Investigators later said that story was false and canceled the alert. The case was then classified as a homicide investigation.
Maryland State Police later said a child’s body was found in Cecil County, Maryland. They have not confirmed the identity, but said the remains match the description of a young child.
Randle was arrested in Delaware and is now being sent to Maryland. She is charged with first- and second-degree murder, child abuse resulting in the death of a child under 13, and other related charges.
A second person, 44-year-old Cedrick Antoine Britten, is also charged. He faces charges including accessory to murder and failure to report a child’s death. Police believe Britten is Randle’s boyfriend and lives in Maryland.
Court records show Nola’s parents were in a custody case in Indiana. Randle had been living in Marion and filed last year to move to Maryland. Nola’s father lives in Indianapolis. As of March, both parents had agreed to keep Nola in Indiana.
Investigators believe Nola had been staying in Maryland before her disappearance. It’s unclear how long she and her mother had been living there.
