Name: Nola Dinkins
Age: 3 years
Height: ~3 ft; Weight: ~25 lb
Appearance: Black hair in a bun, brown eyes
Last known clothing: White T-shirt, black leggings, white shoes

Timeline:

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

• 7:15 PM – Gender Road, Newark, Delaware
  – Nola’s mother pulls her vehicle over in the 500 block of Gender Road to calm her daughter, who was upset.
  – According to police, the mother exited the car to check on Nola.
• Within minutes – Abduction occurs
  – A white male suspect approaches with a handgun and forcibly abducts Nola.
  – He removes Nola from the car and places her into a dark-colored, older-model SUV (believed to be a Chevy or Ford, possibly with rust or dirt).
• Vehicle leaves scene 
  The suspect gets into the rear seat of the SUV, which is being driven by a white female suspect with blonde hair. The SUV flees the area.
  The exact direction of travel is unknown. No license plate has been reported publicly.
• 7:30 PM – Mother contacts police
  Nola’s mother reports the abduction to the New Castle County Police Department (NCCPD). Officers respond to the scene.
• 7:43 PM – law enforcement agencies throughout the region began receiving a BOLO (Be On the Look Out) alert regarding the armed kidnapping. The bulletin included the suspect and vehicle descriptions. The male suspect was identified as a bald white male in his mid-40s, wearing a black hoodie and gray basketball shorts. The female driver was described as white, in her 30s, with blonde hair. No vehicle registration was available.
• 10:00 PM – Amber Alert issued Source
  An Amber Alert is activated by NCCPD in coordination with NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children). The alert is broadcast across Delaware and surrounding regions.
• Nighttime – Search intensifies
  Police search the Liberty Pointe Apartments and surrounding neighborhoods for any leads.
  Detectives begin collecting surveillance footage and interviewing possible witnesses.

Nola Dinkins – Description

• Age: 3 years
• Height: ~3 feet
• Weight: ~25 pounds
• Hair: Black, styled in a bun
• Eyes: Brown
• Clothing: White t-shirt, black leggings, white shoes

Primary suspect (abductor):

• Race: White
• Gender: Male
• Age: 40s
• Build: Medium, 6 ft tall
• Appearance: Bald or peach-fuzz beard
• Clothing: Black hoodie, gray basketball shorts
• Weapon: Handgun

Accomplice (driver):

• Race: White
• Gender: Female
• Hair: Blonde
• Vehicle: Older-model dark-colored SUV (Chevy/Ford), rusty/dirty

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

• 2:40 AM – Active search paused
  Authorities temporarily halt the physical ground search for safety and logistics reasons but continue planning further investigation.
• 7:00–8:00 AM – Search resumes
  Law enforcement, including detectives, resumes efforts to track the vehicle and suspects.
  New Castle County Police searched an apartment complex about 2 miles away from where Dinkins was reported missing.  Source
• Investigators are reviewing neighborhood security cameras and regional traffic cams.
  New Castle County Police investigators determined the initial account given by the mother of 3-year-old Nola Dinkins was false
• 10:00 AM – Amber Alert Canceled: As a result of that investigation, detectives determined the initial account of the incident given by the mother was false. The Amber alert is now canceled, and there is no danger to the public. Sadly, this incident is now being treated as a homicide investigation by the Maryland State Police. Source
• 1:45 PM – Maryland State Police Homicide Unit located what appears to be human remains consistent with that of a child in or near the Perryville Community Park area, in a vacant lot. “At this point, positive identification of those remains has not been made. Officials are waiting on autopsy results from the office of the chief medical examiner.” Maryland State Police, the FBI and New Castle County Police in Delaware continue to investigate.
• The case has officially been classified as a homicide.

📞 Tips
Anyone with information should immediately call 911 or contact the New Castle County Police Department.

Background: Prior to June 2025

January 2025

• Darrian Randle files a notice of relocation with the Delaware Family Court, seeking legal permission to move with her daughter, Nola Dinkins.
• The child’s biological father, Dominique N. Dinkins, contests the move, and a paternity and custody matter is initiated.

March 2025

• The relocation and custody dispute is sent to mediation, where both parents reach a resolution, according to Family Court records.
• The court finalizes the outcome. While the details of the custody agreement are sealed, the filing suggests the case was resolved less than three months before Nola’s death.

Timeline of Events: Death of Nola Dinkins

Monday, June 9, 2025 – Day of the Crime

• Time Unknown – In North East, Maryland, 3-year-old Nola Dinkins is believed to have died.
• Darrian Randle, 31, beats her 3-year-old daughter, Nola, 15–20 times with a belt at their Elk Nest Drive home in Newark, Delaware. 
• Nola falls and becomes unresponsive. Randle attempts to lift her and realizes she is not breathing. 
• She calls her boyfriend, Cedrick Antoine Britten (44), who is home at the time. He attempts CPR but cannot revive the child. 
• Randle and Britten place Nola’s body into Britten’s BMW and drive around before returning to the house. 
• Randle places Nola’s body into a suitcase, which she leaves on the basement stairs.
• She later checks on it once overnight and asks Britten to “take Nola somewhere.” 
• Britten removes the suitcase and later sends Randle a picture of a park, indicating where the child was taken.

June 10, 2025

• Time unknown: Randle contacts Cedrick Britten, her boyfriend, who helps move Nola’s body. Randle and Britten place Nola’s body in a suitcase and dispose of it in a wooded lot near a Maryland park in North East, Cecil County.
• Randle leaves the residence. Surveillance cameras partially capture her departure but do not show Nola with her
• 6:59 PM – Randle’s Mini Cooper is seen leaving the Liberty Apartments complex.
• 7:15 PM – Randle contacts the New Castle County Police Department in Newark, Delaware.
  She claims:
• She pulled over on Gender Road to console Nola.
• A bald white man with a handgun abducted Nola.
• The suspect placed Nola in a dark-colored SUV, driven by a blonde white woman.
• Police respond to the scene and begin canvassing the area.
• 10:00 PM – Amber Alert issued across Delaware and surrounding states, based on Randle’s statement.
  – Description of vehicle and suspects is shared with the public and law enforcement.

June 11, 2025

• 2:40 AM Search teams temporarily pause for safety and logistical reasons. Planning continues.
• Early Morning: Investigators find discrepancies in Randle’s story. The Amber Alert is canceled. The case transitions from kidnapping to homicide.

MDSP officers arrive at Britten’s home:

• Britten says Nola left with Randle and is not in the house.
• When told this is an abduction investigation, Britten is unfazed.
• Britten shows partial surveillance footage of Randle leaving, but Nola is not seen.
• Odor of bleach is detected inside the home.
• Officers find:
• Blue nitrate gloves in trash cans and in Nola’s room.
• A child’s blanket with reddish-brown stains in Britten’s car trunk (he claims it came from “a stranger in a park last summer”).
• Randle undergoes a recorded police interview with Delaware authorities and confesses:
• Admits the abduction was fabricated.
• Details the beating, death, and concealment of her daughter.
• Identifies the suitcase disposal and confirms Britten’s involvement.
• Morning – Randle is arrested by New Castle County Police for felony false reporting.
• She is arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 (DE).
• Bail is set at $1 million cash. She is remanded to Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution.
• 7:00 AM – Search Resumes
• Law enforcement resumes searches in DE and MD.
• Cameras and traffic footage under review.
• Apartment complex near Newark searched.
• 7:45 AM – Park Closure Announced Source
• Town of Perryville, MD, announces Perryville Community Park is closed due to an investigation.
• 10:00 AM : The Amber Alert has been canceled; what began as a reported abduction is now being treated as a homicide investigation
• Authorities determined that the mother’s initial report was false: she claimed Nola was abducted at gunpoint by a man. That report stated she pulled over at 7:15 p.m. on June 10 on Gender Road in Newark, and a masked white man forcibly took Nola into a dark SUV
• 1:45 PM: Maryland State Police Homicide Unit located what appears to be human remains consistent with that of a child in a wooded area off Lums Road, near North East Community Park, Cecil County. “At this point, positive identification of those remains has not been made. Location
• Officials are waiting on autopsy results from the office of the chief medical examiner.” Maryland State Police, the FBI and New Castle County Police in Delaware continue to investigate. Russo said charges in the case are pending but did not reveal what those charges will be or if anyone has been arrested.
• 1:56 PM – Park Still Closed Source
• MSP releases a statement confirming the park remains closed due to an “ongoing and very sensitive investigation.”
• 2:21 PM – Park Reopens Source
• Officials announce Perryville Community Park is reopened. Public directed to MSP for further updates.
• 4:16 PM – Update Source
• 8:00 PM – Arrests made: Source
• Darrian Randle is charged with:
• 1st and 2nd degree murder
• Child abuse resulting in death
• False reporting
• Held on $1 million cash bail
• Cedrick Britten born in May 1981charged with:
• Accessory after the fact (murder)
• Neglect of a minor
• Failure to report a child death
• Unlawful disposal of human remains
• Conspiracy charges
• Held in Maryland custody
• 8:15 PM – Police Clarify Discovery
• MSP confirms the human remains were found near Randle’s residence in North East, MD. 
• Investigators reveal Britten helped them locate the remains by drawing a map.
• The remains are believed to be Nola Dinkins, although identification is still pending.

Jurisdiction & Investigation Notes:

• Although the Amber Alert originated in Delaware, Nola was a Maryland resident, and the crime occurred in Maryland.
• Maryland State Police (MSP) has primary jurisdiction.
• FBI involvement due to:
• Interstate nature of events
• Potential federal violations (false reporting, interstate homicide)
• Randle was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and is being held at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on $1,000,000 cash bail.
• This remains an active investigation for both the New Castle County Division of Police and the Maryland State Police. Source

Legal Timeline:

June 12, 2025

• Autopsy is conducted by the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. While identity confirmation is pending, the remains are believed to be Nola Dinkins based on statements and circumstantial evidence.
• Court documents filed in both Delaware and Maryland reveal:
• Randle confessed to the beating and attempted to cover it up with Britten’s help.
• Britten allegedly knew of the child’s death and assisted in moving and disposing of the body.
• 10:45 AM – Hearing – Bail/ Bond Review for Cedrick Britten, he is released on $75,000 cash bond and home detention. Source
• Filed Motions: Motion to Suppress / Exclude Evidence, Dismiss and Severance
• Filed Motions: Motion / Request / Demand for Discovery and Inspection

June 13, 2025

• Court records indicate Randle faces additional charges pending extradition to Maryland, including:
• First-degree murder
• Second-degree murder
• First-degree child abuse resulting in death
• Her preliminary hearing for the Delaware false reporting charge is scheduled for June 23, 2025 at New Castle County Court of Common Pleas.
• The Delaware Attorney General’s Office and Maryland State Prosecutor’s Office are coordinating extradition.
• The identity of the body found is still pending forensic confirmation, but homicide has been officially ruled.

June 16, 2025

• 7:00 PM: Nola Dinkins Candlelight Vigil is scheduled for Northeast Community Park, located at 300 Cherry St, North East, Maryland.  Source

June 23, 2025

• Preliminary hearing scheduled for Darrian Randle

July 11, 2025

• 9:00 AM – Preliminary Hearing scheduled for for Cedrick Britten

 A tragic update after a 3-year-old girl named Nola was reported missing by her mother, who police now say lied.

Nola Dinkins was a Maryland resident, even though the Amber Alert originated in Newark, Delaware.

Authorities now believe the crime occurred in Maryland, not Delaware.

• Maryland State Police assumed jurisdiction as the lead state law enforcement agency.
• The FBI joined due to:
• The interstate nature of the case (crossing from Delaware to Maryland).
• The potential violation of federal laws, including false reporting and possible kidnapping/murder across state lines.