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A North Carolina father who called 911 to confess to killing four of his children and hiding their remains in a car trunk at his home near Zebulon also allegedly told investigators he buried a fifth child behind the house, according to a report.
Court records show Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder after law enforcement officials said he admitted to killing his children over several months.
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office posted on social media that deputies responded to Dickens’ home just after 10 p.m. on Oct. 27 after he told a 911 dispatcher that four of his children were dead and that their bodies were in a car parked inside his garage.
Deputies found Dickens at the home along with his 3-year-old son, who was alive and unharmed.
When deputies searched the garage, they discovered what appeared to be human remains inside the trunk of a vehicle. Investigators said the remains had likely been there for some time.
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Mugshot of Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, who authorities say admitted to killing his children over several months before his Oct. 27 arrest. (Johnston County Sheriff’s Office)
In a 911 call recording obtained by WRAL-TV, a man who identified himself as Wellington Dickens gave the home’s address and allegedly told the dispatcher he had killed his children.
During the call, Dickens reportedly told the dispatcher, “It’s a lot to explain, but in a nutshell, it’s probably my fault. It’s bad. It started out as me over-disciplining – that’s it.”
Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said during a news conference late last month that investigators believe the deaths were spread out over several months, beginning in May and ending in September.
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Law enforcement vehicles block the road to Wellington Delano Dickens III’s home, where remains were found after Dickens told authorities he had killed four of his children, Oct. 28, in Zebulon, N.C. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
Bizzell said he didn’t yet know why Dickens killed the children, “but as the sheriff, as a father and as a grandfather, I can stand here and say there’s no reason for a father to murder his children.”
Authorities said Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens, died in April 2024 from complications of a miscarriage. Investigators believe the killings occurred between May and September of this year.
Neighbors described the family as reclusive and said the children were homeschooled. Deputies said the home had been visited previously when Stephanie Dickens died, but her death was determined to be from natural causes after she refused medical treatment.
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Law enforcement vehicles block the road to Wellington Delano Dickens III’s home, where remains were found after Dickens told authorities he had killed four of his children, in Zebulon, N.C. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)
“The neighbors said they never saw them come outside, and they were homeschooled, so they were just confined to the house,” sheriff’s Capt. Don Pate said.
In court documents obtained by NBC News, Dickens allegedly confessed to burying a fifth child in the woods behind his home. Dickens allegedly told investigators his infant’s health had declined before he wrapped the baby in plastic or paper and buried the child behind the house.
Officials said the death was never reported, and relatives told investigators they hadn’t seen the baby since Dickens moved. The infant’s remains have not been found, according to NBC News.
Fox News Digital is working to obtain the indictment and charging documents.
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“This case has affected every deputy, every investigator, and every first responder who went to that house,” Bizzell said. “It’s something you don’t ever forget.”
Details about how the children died have not been released, but officials said the state medical examiner’s office continues to examine the remains and determine their causes of death. Authorities also said the search for the fifth child will resume once weather conditions improve, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.