Cecil County Mom Charged With Murder After Faking Child’s Kidnapping

A Cecil County mother who claimed her 3-year-old daughter was kidnapped at gunpoint has now been charged in the child’s death, authorities announced.

Darriann Lynnelle Randle, 31, faces multiple charges including first-degree murder, child abuse, neglect, failure to report a child’s death, and improper disposal of a body. Her boyfriend, Cedric Antoine Britten, is charged as an accessory after the fact to murder, along with child neglect and failure to report a death, among other counts.

Randle initially told police that her daughter, identified by the initials ND, had been abducted in Newark, Delaware, around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. She claimed the child was taken at gunpoint near an office park.

However, investigators quickly uncovered discrepancies. When Maryland State Police visited Randle’s last known address on Elk Nest Drive, they noted an unusual smell of bleach in the home and discovered two pairs of nitrile gloves. Britten, who was present, showed little reaction when informed of the alleged kidnapping. A search of his vehicle uncovered a small blanket with a blood-like stain.

According to charging documents, Randle later confessed that the abduction never occurred. She admitted to striking ND with a belt 15 to 20 times on Monday. When the child became unresponsive, she contacted Britten, who attempted CPR. Randle said she later disposed of the child’s body in a nearby vacant lot.

Investigators found ND’s remains inside a suitcase. The child appeared emaciated, according to police.

Randle is currently in custody in Delaware, awaiting extradition to Cecil County. Britten was released on $75,000 bond. Randle’s legal representation is currently unknown. Britten is being represented by the Office of the Public Defender, which has not yet commented on the case.

Maryland Mother Charged With Murder After Falsely Reporting Child Abduction  was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com