Zebulon, North Carolina – A North Carolina man who told authorities he killed four of his children and that the bodies were in the trunk of his home has been charged with murder after sheriff’s deputies found human remains in his garage.
Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was charged Tuesday with murder in the death of one of his children, and is being held without bail in the Johnston County Jail, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and court records. Multiple additional charges are expected, according to a Sheriff’s Office press release on Facebook.
Dickens, of Zebulon, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Raleigh, called 911 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 home.
The statement said a preliminary investigation found what were believed to be “multiple bodies” in the trunk of the car in the garage and that the remains had been there for an extended period. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the address.
Investigators believe Dickens killed three of his biological children, ages 6, 9 and 10, as well as his 18-year-old stepson, the sheriff’s office said.
The government medical examiner’s office is working to identify the remains.
Court records show Dickens appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon on a murder charge related to the killing of an unnamed juvenile victim. The arrest warrant said authorities believe the victim was killed on May 1.
He is scheduled to appear in court on November 13. Court records show a court-appointed attorney will be appointed, but his name was not immediately listed.