Mother and Boyfriend Arrested for Murder After Faked Kidnapping of 3-Year-Old Nola Dinkins Sparks Amber Alert

Suspected Murder of Nola Dinkins Unveiled After Faked Amber Alert

The case of 3-year-old Nola Dinkins, first thought to be a terrifying child abduction in Newark, Delaware, has turned out to be something much darker. What originally sparked an urgent Amber Alert and widespread search was later revealed as a cover-up, police said. Behind the scenes, a fabricated story led not just to public panic, but to a full-blown homicide investigation centering on the child’s own family.

On June 10, 2025, Nola’s mother, Darrian Randle, contacted New Castle County police with a chilling report. Randle claimed her daughter had been snatched at gunpoint—it sounded like a scene out of a crime show: a white man with a handgun swiped the toddler from a parked car, hopped into a dark SUV supposedly driven by a white woman, and disappeared. With this dramatic tale, authorities jumped into action. An Amber Alert flew out across the region, and even the FBI was called in to assist. Apps buzzed on phones, highways displayed urgent messages, neighbors checked their yards.

But almost as soon as the search began, red flags popped up. Investigators picked apart Randle’s account and hit a wall—nothing added up. No surveillance video showed the described vehicle, and no witnesses saw a frantic scene at the supposed location. It didn’t take long for police to realize the abduction was fake. The Amber Alert was quickly canceled, and the public, once fearing for an endangered little girl, learned there was never a stranger lurking in their midst. The whole story, police now say, was set up to mislead them.

The investigation took a hard turn. Instead of racing to find a kidnapped child, police started piecing together what had really happened to Nola. Soon, the focus narrowed: Randle and her boyfriend, whose name police have not yet released, were arrested and charged with murder. Specific details about their alleged roles and what exactly happened to Nola haven’t been made public yet. And the biggest haunting question—where is the little girl’s body—remains unanswered for now.

Authorities have been careful to stress that there’s no continuing threat to the community, hoping to calm any lingering fears sparked by the bogus Amber Alert. While the state police and FBI continue to dig through forensic evidence, search logs, and digital trails, the unanswered parts of this case have gripped both Maryland and Delaware. Parents are left shaken, not only by the loss of a child but by how abruptly trust was shattered so close to home.

Community Reels as Details Emerge

The story has become a brutal reminder of how quickly a crisis can unfold—and then twist. Amber Alerts are supposed to mobilize the public against real dangers. When one is faked by a parent, it doesn’t just drain law enforcement resources—it shakes faith in a system built to protect the most vulnerable. Local parents, teachers, and neighbors now grapple with a different sort of worry: Not only did something unimaginable happen to Nola, but the agonizing uncertainty of her fate lingers as the investigation drags on.

Right now, authorities are withholding the full list of charges against Randle and her boyfriend. As of June 12, 2025, police say they’re still working hard behind the scenes, combing through every clue. Community members have begun quietly organizing vigils and support groups for children staggered by the news. The raw emotion and anger are impossible to ignore—nobody expected this level of betrayal from someone entrusted with a child’s care.

What stands out is the bizarre shift—from a frantic Amber Alert over a supposed armed abduction, to a Maryland murder case that has left a family and a community in pieces. The search for answers continues as police work to untangle what happened in the days and hours before Randle called 911. And for now, the name Nola Dinkins symbolizes not just a tragic loss, but a community’s desperate hope for both justice and healing.