North Carolina
North Carolina Dad makes chilling 911 call to confess to killing his four kids, cops find bodies in trunk of car
A North Carolina father has been charged with the murders of his four children after he called 911 to chillingly confess the killings.
Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was arrested Tuesday at his home in Zebulon — about 20 miles outside of Raleigh — after he allegedly told 911 operators that he had killed his children, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Deputies arrived at the home around 10 p.m., where Dickens informed them that the children were dead inside the trunk of a car in the garage.
Inside, officers discovered “what were believed to be multiple bodies” in the trunk of a two-door Honda sedan parked in the garage, authorities said.
The victims were identified as Dickens’ biological children — Leah Dickens, 6, Zoe Dickens, 9, and Wellington Dickens, 10 — along with his 18-year-old stepchild, Sean Brassfield.
Deputies also found Dickens’ 3-year-old son alive and unharmed inside the home.
During the preliminary investigation, the sheriff’s office said the remains appeared to have been there for an extended period.
Authorities believe the four children have been dead since May 1, according to court records obtained by USA Today.
Dickens was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and charged with first-degree murder. He is currently being held at the Johnston County Jail without bond.
Records show Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens, died in April 2024 — leaving behind five children who continued living in the family’s Zebulon home.
An obituary said Jones Dickens “passed away suddenly at her home,” according to an online obituary.
Her death came about a year after Dickens’ father died in a box-truck collision in Lee County, USA Today reported.
Dickens’ great-uncle, Charles Moore, told WRAL-TV that the Iraq War veteran “seemed fine” when he last saw him about a year ago.
“Like anybody else I was just shocked,” Moore told the outlet. “You hear it, talk about it happening to other people. You just wouldn’t think it would happen to one of your own.”
However, Moore acknowledged that the alleged child murder wasn’t the same after serving in the military.
“We know he had a little problem,” Moore said. “He was in the service, and he had a problem ever since he came back, I think.”
Next-door neighbor Debra Riley also said she’s struggling to piece together what happened.
“My heart just breaks for the children, and for the 3-year-old that’s left because he has no parents or siblings left,” Rily said.
Neighbor Fran Majkowski said the gruesome discovery has shocked the neighborhood.
“I walk by that house almost every single day,” Majkowski told the outlet.
While Majkowski had no personal relationship with Dickens or his family, she did remember when they moved into the neighborhood.
“I never saw a child outside playing. I never saw him mowing a lawn,” she said.
“The only time I ever saw them was the day they moved in and like I said … it was very … you just get the feeling someone is to themselves.”
However, Majkowski said she and other neighbors reached out to support Dickens in 2024 following his wife’s passing.
“It’s a pretty new neighborhood,” Majkowski said. “I’ve been here three years, most others just a year or two — and everyone came together. There was an outpouring of support.”
Riley added that Dickens “started keeping to himself” and became more of a recluse after his wife passed away.
Dickens is due back in court on Wednesday.
If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life without parole or the death penalty.
Auburn’s latest incoming transfer brings experience and production to what was a position of weakness last season.
Former North Carolina tight end Jake Johnson signed with Auburn on Saturday, a source confirmed to AL.com. Johnson is the third transfer tight end Auburn has signed since the portal opened, joining Jonathan Echols and Xavier Newsom.
Johnson, however, is the most proven of Auburn’s signees at tight end. He brings four years of experience at North Carolina and Texas A&M, catching 16 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown in 2025.
His best season came with the Aggies in 2023, during which he caught 24 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he brings versatility to Auburn’s tight end room and may be the best pass catching option.
With Johnson now signed, Auburn’s tight end room is now up to five players, putting the Tigers in a good spot going into the 2026 season.
The transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2 and will remain open until Jan. 16. Keep up with all of Auburn’s incoming and outgoing transfers here.
Saturday is a monumental game for the North Carolina Tar Heels, who are coming off an embarrassing defensive performance against the SMU Mustangs last weekend. Boopie Miller and the Mustangs dominated the tempo of the game, leading to a 97-83 win over the Tar Heels.
North Carolina will be hosting the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at the Dean E. Smith Center on Saturday night. The Tar Heels enter this contest with a 13-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference record. Meanwhile, Wake Forest owns a 10-6 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.
With that brief preview, let’s take a look at a couple of keys to the game that will be deciphering factors in the outcome of this matchup.
Can North Carolina Bounce Back Defensively?
While speaking with the media on Friday during his press conference, head coach Hubert Davis explained what he saw on film against SMU, and how that will be the main message heading into Saturday.
- “Obviously, disappointed defensively,” Davis said. “It was just a number of things. I mean, it was on transition, one-on-one, not boxing out at times, not talking and communicating the right way, discipline, shot fake, stay down, putting guys at the free throw line. And so, I was really excited about this week not having a midweek game, to actually have practice. To practice on us, as opposed to preparing for Wake Forest until the latter part of the week. So, I felt like it was a perfect time not to have a midweek game, to be able to get to practice and start doing fundamentally the things that have allowed us all year to be a pretty good defensive team.”
Wake Forest’s top offensive weapon is Juke Harris, who is averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
Last week, the Tar Heels struggled against their opponent’s best player, but Harris and Miller are drastically different players, so North Carolina may be able to contain the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard more sufficiently. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ perimeter defense has to be stellar to win comfortably.
Backcourt Production Has to be Noticeable
We already know that Seth Trimble will do his part, but someone between Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, and Derek Dixon have to step up with an efficient performance. The trio has been extremely underwhelming for the majority of the season, especially Evans and Bogavac.
For Evans and Bogavac to find sustain success and confidence, a strong outing will go a long way in that regard. Saturday is an important game for the Tar Heels’ guard who need to show a sign of life with conference play heating up.
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BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. (WLOS) — As of Friday, Jan. 9, there are a total of 310 measles cases in South Carolina, mostly in Spartanburg County, including 99 new cases since Tuesday, according to S.C. health officials.
North Carolina is also dealing with measles, with a case recently confirmed on Friday in Rutherford County. This raises the state’s total to five cases since late December, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
While the number of measles cases in western North Carolina is in single digits, health officials are warning the public about just how quickly and easily it can spread, along with several other illnesses.
Health officials continue to remain focused on stopping it from spreading.
NEW MEASLES CASE CONFIRMED IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY; 5TH CASE IN NORTH CAROLINA SINCE DECEMBER
“Currently, we do not have a community spread of measles in Buncombe County. The cases that we’ve had have been connected to the South Carolina outbreak that is right across the state line,” said Buncombe County Public Health Director Dr. Ellis Matheson.
The measles case in Polk County, confirmed on Dec. 31, 2025, was the first in N.C. believed to be linked to the S.C. outbreak, after an unvaccinated child traveled to Spartanburg County, as News 13 previously reported. The next three WNC measles occurrences, which NCDHHS announced on Jan. 6, were siblings in Buncombe County who also traveled to Spartanburg County.
Measles continues to be an issue in North Carolina.
In Friday’s case update, Matheson said if you feel like you’ve been exposed and are already experiencing symptoms, let the clinic or hospital know before coming in.
“Please call ahead so that we can really reduce any potential exposures to possible measles,” Matheson said.
If you haven’t been vaccinated but have been exposed, Dr. Matheson added that even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms, you’re being asked to quarantine for 21 days from the date of exposure.
NC HEALTH OFFICIALS URGE VACCINES AMID MEASLES AND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS SURGE
She’s also encouraging those who were exposed to measles on January 4 between 2 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. at Mission Hospital’s Emergency Department waiting room to contact them right away.
“We are in general seeing community spread of both varicella and whooping cough,” Matheson said.
As for chickenpox, outbreaks have not spread to additional schools, but community spread has continued, including an outbreak at Fairview Elementary School, which is why she’s encouraging everyone to take steps in prevention.
“So once again, I would just strongly encourage that people are making sure that they are up to date on recommended vaccines for everything that we have vaccines for,” Matheson said.
Buncombe County health officials are holding free vaccine clinics every week. For more information or if you want to book ahead, call (828) 250-6100.
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