A Maryland mother is accused of killing her three-year-old daughter and then falsely reporting her missing.
Darrian Randle, 31, and Cedrick Antoine Britten, 44, have both been charged in the death of three-year-old Nola Dinkins. The investigation began when the girl's mother, Randle, reported her missing June 10, police said.
Initially, an Amber Alert was issued, but as police investigated, they concluded that the kidnapping report was false, and it was canceled.
"Police respond[ed] to Randle's last known address in North East where they made contact with 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," police said.
PEOPLE reported that the little girl's remains were found in a suitcase, emaciated and completely wrapped in Saran Wrap. The outlet reported that the criminal charges were filed after police positively identified the remains on July 11.
Randle is being held on first- and second-degree murder, first-degree child abuse resulting in the death of a minor under thirteen, and other related criminal charges.
Britten is charged with accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact, failure to report child death, and other related criminal charges.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Nola Dinkins' family. It states, "As we face the heartbreaking task of saying goodbye, our family is coming together to honor Nola's memory. We are raising funds to help cover funeral costs, a memorial service, travel expenses, and attorney fees. Your support will help us give Nola the homegoing she deserves and ease the financial burden during this difficult time."
