A North Carolina man who called 911 and confessed that he had killed four of his children has been charged with four counts of murder, authorities said on Oct. 28.
Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, is currently being held without bond in the Johnston County Jail, according to the county sheriff’s office and online court records.
Earlier on Oct. 28, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said Dickens was charged with one count of murder in the death of one of his children and that additional charges were anticipated. Court records later showed that Dickens was charged with three additional murder counts.
Emergency operators received a 911 call from a man, later identified as Dickens, at about 10:09 p.m. local time on Oct. 27, reporting that he had killed his children, the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the Dickens’ residence in Zebulon, a rural town about 25 miles east of Raleigh, and located Dickens.
Dickens then allegedly told the deputies that his 3-year-old son was inside the house while four of his other children were dead inside the trunk of a vehicle in his garage, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies found the 3-year-old boy alive and unharmed in the residence.
During the preliminary investigation, the sheriff’s office said deputies discovered “what were believed to be multiple bodies in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage.” The sheriff’s office added that the deputies believe the human remains were in the trunk for a long period of time.
Authorities secured the scene and investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence, according to the sheriff’s office. Further investigation revealed that Dickens killed three of his biological children — ages 6, 9, and 10, as well as his 18-year-old stepchild, the sheriff’s office said.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is assisting the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was also contacted and responded to the scene.
Court records: Authorities believe the children were killed months ago
Online court records show that Dickens appeared in court on Oct. 28 and will be assigned a public defender. A probable cause hearing is scheduled for Nov. 13, according to court records.
Arrest warrants obtained by USA TODAY state that Dickens was arrested for murdering four victims, who were identified as Z.D., 9; W.D., 10; Sean Brasfield, 18; and L.D., whose date of birth was not listed. The warrants showed the date of the offenses as May 1.
In an update later on Oct. 28, authorities identified the victims as Leah Dickens, 6; Zoe Dickens, 9; Wellington Dickens, 10; and Sean Brasfield, 18, local television station WRAL and The News & Observer reported. Brasfield was identified as Dickens’ stepson, according to the news outlets.
Court records for the estate of Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens, state that she died in April 2024, and the couple’s five children lived in their Zebulon residence. Jones Dickens had “passed away suddenly at her home,” according to her obituary. Dickens’ wife died just over a year following his father’s death after his vehicle struck a box truck in Lee County, North Carolina, court records show.
Dickens’ great uncle Charles Moore told WRAL-TV that Dickens was an Iraq War veteran and that he last saw Dickens about a year ago. Moore said Dickens “seemed fine” at the time, the television station reported.