3-year-old girl died after her mother hit her with a belt until she stopped moving, then wrapped the body in plastic and placed it in a suitcase before duping it at vacant lot; mother charged

Maryland – In a harrowing case that left Delaware and Maryland residents shaken and caught nationwide attention, a 31-year-old mother, identified as D. Randle, is facing murder charges after police say she beat her 3-year-old daughter, identified as Nola, to death, wrapped her in plastic, and placed her body in a suitcase that was later dumped in a vacant lot. Authorities say the mother initially tried to mislead them by claiming the child had been abducted at gunpoint but eventually confessed to fatally beating the girl after investigators uncovered inconsistencies in her story. The prosecutors are now working to ensure justice for the young child whose life ended in unimaginable violence.

The tragedy began to unfold on the night of Tuesday, June 4, when Randle called police claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped by an armed man in Delaware after she pulled over on the roadside. Her story quickly prompted an Amber Alert, sending shockwaves through the region as law enforcement launched a frantic search for the supposedly abducted child. But as detectives interviewed Randle and gathered evidence, inconsistencies in her statement emerged. Within 24 hours, the Amber Alert was canceled, and Randle was taken into custody. According to newly released charging documents, Randle later admitted that the abduction had never happened.

Instead, Randle told police that the real events began the day before the alert, on Monday, June 3, when she became angry at Nola and struck her with a belt 15 to 20 times. The girl fell to the ground and stopped moving. When Randle picked her up, she realized the toddler was no longer breathing. Randle said she called for her 44-year-old boyfriend, identified as C. Britten, who attempted CPR but soon concluded that Nola was dead.

What followed was a chilling attempt to conceal the crime. According to police, Randle and Britten placed the child’s body in a car and drove around for an unspecified period before returning home. Eventually, they wrapped Nola’s body in plastic wrap and stuffed it into a suitcase. That suitcase was later dumped in a vacant lot in Maryland. Police were able to locate the suitcase after interviewing both Randle and Britten. The human remains inside, described as those of an “emaciated child,” were confirmed to be wrapped in plastic, validating the mother’s grim confession.

Investigators also uncovered a complicated family situation. At the time of the girl’s death, Randle was reportedly engaged in a custody dispute with Nola’s father, who lives in Indiana and had attempted earlier this year to stop Randle from relocating with the child. Randle remains jailed in Delaware, awaiting extradition to Maryland, where she faces first-degree murder charges along with several related offenses.

Britten, who was not present during the fatal beating but helped in the cover-up, has been charged with accessory to first- and second-degree murder after the fact, along with failure to report a child’s death and other charges. Police searching his home reported a strong odor of cleaning products, specifically bleach, suggesting an effort to eliminate evidence. A blood-stained child’s blanket was also recovered. Despite these details, Britten was granted bail and is currently on home detention, a decision that has drawn criticism from community members and child welfare advocates.

As this heart-wrenching case unfolds, law enforcement officials say their primary focus is on ensuring justice for little Nola. “This is one of the most horrific crimes we’ve seen in years,” said one investigator close to the case. “A young life lost in such a violent, tragic way deserves the full weight of the law.” Further court appearances are scheduled for both defendants in the coming weeks. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the abuse and death, vowing to uncover the full scope of what happened and to hold all responsible parties accountable.