A North Carolina man is charged with murder after telling authorities he killed his kids

ZEBULON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man who told authorities he had killed four of his children and that the bodies were in the trunk of a vehicle at his home has been charged with murder after sheriffs deputies found human remains in his garage.

Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was charged Tuesday with one count of murder in the death of one of his children and is being held without bond in the Johnston County Jail, according to the county's Sheriff’s Office and court records. Multiple additional charges are anticipated, according to a sheriff's office news release on Facebook.

Dickens called 911 on Monday evening and told the operator he had killed the children, the statement said.

Johnston County deputies responded and found Dickens’ 3-year-old son unharmed inside the residence on the outskirts of Zebulon, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Raleigh.

The deputies discovered what the release described as “multiple bodies” in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage and said the remains had been there for a long time, according to the release. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the address.

The sheriff's office said investigators believe Dickens killed three of his biological children, ages 6, 9 and 10, as well as his 18-year-old stepchild. The State Medical Examiner’s Office was working to identify the remains.

Court records show Dickens appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon on the murder charge related to the killing of a juvenile victim whose name was not provided. The arrest warrant says authorities believe the victim was killed May 1.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 13. Court records show he will be appointed an attorney, but a name was not immediately listed.

Dickens’ wife, Stephanie, died in April 2024, and Dickens said five children lived in their Zebulon home, according to court records from his wife’s estate. Her death came just over a year after Dickens’ father died when his car crashed into a box truck in Lee County, North Carolina, according to court records.

A police cruiser with flashing lights blocked the road leading to Dickens' address on Tuesday afternoon, with tents from the sheriff's office and the State Bureau of Investigation erected in the driveway. The home sits in a recently built subdivision of one- and two-story houses. An old farm house sits not far from the subdivision's entrance.

Previously known for its tobacco market and the railroad that came through town, Zebulon is emerging as one of several small towns quicky turning into bedroom communities of the Raleigh-Durham area due to its strong economy.

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