Maryland community "disturbed" after body found during search for missing 3-year-old
A community in Cecil County said it was "disturbing" when they learned the body of a young child was found in their backyard as police searched for a missing Nola Dinkins.
Maryland State Police spokesperson Elena Russo said the remains found in a vacant lot on Wednesday, June 11, were consistent with those of a child. The medical examiner is working to identify the body and the cause of death.
"Really shocking, especially when you hear the age of the poor child involved," a Cecil County resident told WJZ. "Quite disturbing, that's for sure."
Cecil County resident Chloe Elborn said the child's body was found near her home on Dune Road in North East, Maryland.
Maryland mother Darrian Randle and her boyfriend, Cedrick Britten, are accused of killing 3-year-old Nola Dinkins and attempting to hide her body before filing a false kidnapping report in Delaware.
Documents: Child's body was stuffed in a suitcase
According to the police report, Randle put her daughter in a suitcase and left it on the basement steps overnight. She then asked Britten to dispose of the suitcase.
Police said Britten took the suitcase and later sent her a picture of a park, and he provided a map of where he left the body.
According to court documents, the remains were found around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, and it was consistent with an emaciated child wrapped in Saran Wrap.
"It's just too close to home, like it's like so close to home, literally," Elborn said. "As a mama, I just cannot imagine doing that to your child. It's insane."
Randle, 31, is facing several charges, including murder, assault, and child abuse. She is being held on a $1 million bond. Britten, 44, is charged with accessory to murder and has been released on $75,000 bond.
"Well, you don't expect it, but you also know that some bad individuals walk among us," a Cecil County resident said.
Confession to a child's murder
Randle confessed to the murder of her 3-year-old daughter, Nola Dinkins, according to charging documents obtained by WJZ. She told police she faked a kidnapping story, which prompted an Amber Alert in Delaware.
She told police that she had hit the child about 15 to 20 times with a belt on Monday, June 6, at the Cecil County home.
Randle told police that Dinkins fell to the ground and was not moving. When she realized the child was no longer breathing, Randle called for Britten, who attempted CPR, according to charging documents.
Police said Randle and Britten drove around with the child's dead body before returning home. Later, Randle asked Britten to dispose of the body in the suitcase, according to documents.
"I was doing a project out by the lane there, and we saw a flatbed come and take a couple of cars away from the residence there," a Cecil County resident said. "And then police units started showing up from forensics, and we realized there was more to it than that."
Randle's false police report
According to charging documents, Randle called the New Castle County Police Department in Delaware on Tuesday to report that Dinkins was kidnapped at gunpoint off of Gender Road.
An Amber Alert was issued, and Maryland State police responded to the child's last known residence in the state, which is standard practice.
When troopers responded to a home on Elk Nest Drive in Cecil County, Maryland, they found Britten. He identified himself as Randle's current boyfriend, court documents said. He told troopers the child had left with her mother.
Child-sized blanket with blood found
Maryland State Police searched Britten's Cecil County home. According to charging documents, Britten did not react when he was told about the abduction allegations.
He told officers that "he used to be special forces in the military and has dealt with human trafficking before."
During a search of the home, troopers found gloves in a downstairs trash can and another pair in Randle and Nola's room, according to court documents.
A "child-sized" blanket with a "reddish brown smear consistent with blood" was found in Britten's car, according to court documents.
Britten told police the blanket was not his and he had gotten it from a stranger he met in a park during the summer of 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
27 minutes ago
- CBS News
Woman critically injured in Harmar Township hit-and-run crash
A woman in Harmar Township was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash on Thursday night. Police said the victim was crossing Freeport Road when the driver of a dark-colored sedan hit her before driving toward the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Authorities said the 28-year-old woman was using the crosswalk on Freeport Road at Alpha Drive around 10:15 p.m. when she was hit. The driver was traveling north and hit the victim in the right lane, officials said. An employee of a nearby restaurant said she saw the crash and called 911. The victim was taken to a local hospital, and she remains in critical condition as of Friday evening. Detectives are looking at surveillance video from businesses in the area to help identify the driver. They say the car has damage to the front corner panel on the passenger side. Several people KDKA talked to off-camera on Friday said it is a dangerous intersection, and even though pedestrians have the right-of-way, they still need to use extra caution because drivers do not always stop. If you have any information about the hit-and-run or recognize the dark-colored car, call the Harmar Township Police Department.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
New York man allegedly made improvised explosives, tossed them from Williamsburg Bridge, authorities say
A New York man faces charges after he allegedly made several improvised explosive devices and threw some of them off the Williamsburg Bridge, prosecutors said Friday. Prosecutors claim Michael Gann made six of the devices, and set one of them off on June 5 near the East River and the FDR Drive. The explosion apparently frightened Gann, who then said he started to consider getting rid of them either by hurling them into the river or by handing them over to the FDNY, according to the complaint. Authorities say they intercepted Gann. According to the complaint, Gann told law enforcement officers he was trying to make pyrotechnics and learned how to do so online. Gann allegedly said he wanted to get rid of them, so he threw three devices from the Manhattan side of the Williamsburg Bridge. Two of them landed in the water, and one landed on train tracks. Authorities say the found another device in Gann's bag, and one was in his pocket. Authorities recovered the device from the train tracks on the bridge. Authorities say Gann has 30 prior arrests including 28 convictions. Check back soon for more on this developing story.
CBS News
3 hours ago
- CBS News
Northern Colorado city's new camping and storage ban applies to most public and private properties
The City of Greeley has enacted a new law banning camping or storing personal items outside in nearly all public and private spaces. The law, known as the "outdoor camping and storage ban," was first discussed more than two years ago, but didn't take effect until Wednesday. While the law technically began Wednesday morning, the City of Greeley said they are not actively enforcing it at this moment. Instead, the city said they are focusing on community and staff education. "We are still in the education phase, we are still internally trying to figure out 'what does that look like?' and implementation," said Richard Ruggieri, chief public safety officer for Greeley. Ruggieri said the city is working with the police department and other entities to make sure everyone has the resources they need to provide to those who may be violating the law. But when officials do start to enforce the new law, violators can face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine. "You can't camp outdoors on public space or private space, and you cannot have outdoor storage of property," Ruggieri said. "We are trying to educate folks on what it is, and what the ordinance is not." Richard Ruggieri, chief public safety officer for the City of Greeley, discusses a new camping and storage ban in the city that took effect on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. CBS While the law does have the potential to impact everyone in the city, some of its specifications may lead many to believe it's targeting homeless people in an effort to make them leave the area. Because the law prohibits people from sleeping outdoors or storing their personal items in most situations, many of the unhoused people in the region will no longer be able to stay where they do. When asked for his response to those suggestions, Ruggieri said, "that is understandable, that perception. And that is what we want to educate the community about. That is not what (the law) is about at all." He claims the law was created as a way to help the city secure public safety and health. He noted that camping and storing personal items outdoors can lead to health hazards, including exposure to rodents and disease. He also said the ordinance allows the community to be cleaner by reducing the likelihood of litter. He said the city does not wish to arrest violators once enforcement begins, but rather use the law as a way to encourage those breaking the ordinance to obtain housing or gain access to other resources offered to those experiencing issues. "The biggest thing we are trying to do is have compliance. There is nobody in the police department, or nobody in public service and safety, that really wants to arrest someone who is camping, down on their luck, homeless, or unhoused. It is about trying to connect people with resources," Ruggieri said. "We've got to connect with those people who need the help to put them where they belong, not on the streets." Ruggieri noted that Greeley closes their homeless shelter during the summer as a result of a lack of resources and funding throughout the year. However, he said the city does have access to things like hotel vouchers and partnerships with nonprofits that can help further assist those in need. Ruggieri said there are exemptions to the law, including one that allows private property owners to camp outside on their land for up to seven days. For more information on the law and what it enforces, click here.
