THE body of three-year-old Nola Dinkins has been found wrapped in Saran Wrap inside a suitcase, cops have confirmed.
Her mother reported her missing in Delaware on June 10, stating that her daughter was taken at gunpoint by a man in an SUV, which initiated an amber alert.
Police soon realized the kidnapping report was unfounded, canceling the alert, and a body was found the next day in an empty lot in Cecil County, Maryland.
On July 11, a spokesperson for the Maryland State Police told People that the remains were those of Nola.
Darrian Randle, her mother, from North East, Maryland, has been charged with several offenses, including first and second degree murder and child abuse resulting in the death of a minor.
The 31-year-old’s boyfriend Cedrick Antoine Britten, 44, has also been arrested and faces charges including being an accessory to first and second degree murder and failing to report the death of a child.
The child’s body was found by police who had been asked to visit Randle’s last known address where they located Britten.
“Further investigation led to potential criminal activity which subsequently led to the recovery of human remains in a vacant lot in North East, Maryland,” a police statement read.
Court documents seen by NBC 10 and WBAL-TV detail how Britten allegedly drew a map for cops that led to Nola’s body.
She was found emaciated and “completely wrapped in Saran Wrap,” officials said in the charging document.
Her mother allegedly admitted that she beat the toddler 15 to 20 times with a belt until she was unresponsive while at Britten’s house on June 9.
Britten allegedly attempted CPR which failed and so the couple allegedly put Nola in the car and drove around for a while before returning to the house and putting her body inside a blue suitcase.
They then left the baggage on the stairs to the basement before disposing of it the following day, Randle told cops.
Randle claimed that Britten had helped her in dumping the case.
No pleas or attorney details have yet been provided in online court records.
Randle remains in custody at Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution in New Castle, Delaware, and will be extradited to Maryland.
Meanwhile, Britten is being held without bond until his trial date at the Cecil County Detention Center.
If found guilty, both face life behind bars.
DAD’S HEARTBREAK
Nola’s devastated father Dominique Dinkins has set up a GoFundMe page in her memory to raise money for the funeral and to go towards attorney’s fees.
“Our beloved Nola Q. Dinkins, my one and only child, brought an infectious energy and warmth to everyone she met,” he wrote in dedication to his daughter.
“From the moment I first held her, my life changed for the better.
“Nola made me a better man, brother, son, and most importantly, a father.”
“We ask that you keep our family in your prayers as we navigate this loss,” he added.
“Nola’s love and joy will never fade, and we will carry her memory forward, sharing her light with others just as she did with us.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser has received almost $7,000 in donations.
