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.

Good evening, North Carolina. We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook. 

Today’s Big Stories

1. 13 shot at Halloween party in southeastern N.C., 2 killed

Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins’ office said in a news release that 13 people were shot. He said that homicide investigators and others were at the scene of the party in a rural area outside of Maxton, about 95 miles southwest of Raleigh near the South Carolina border. Deputies found Jessie Locklear Jr., 49, and Nehemiah Locklear, 16, both of Lumberton, dead at the scene.

2. Attendance dips at N.C. State Fair. A look at the numbers

Food vendors and carnival workers are packing up their candied apples, cotton candy, games and giant stuffed prizes, marking the end of the 2025 North Carolina State Fair season. This year, there were 946,811 total fairgoers during the fair’s 11-day run, according to figures from the state’s Department of Agriculture. That is nearly 8,000 fewer than the past 10-year average and more than 50,000 less than last year.

3. Salisbury police chief says bystander likely saved officer’s life during knife-wielding assault

Salisbury Police Chief Patrick Smith is praising a bystander’s courageous actions that he says likely saved an officer’s life during an assault Sunday evening. The officer and bystander were injured by a knife-wielding suspect at a Cookout on East Innes Street, police said. The suspect faces multiple charges. 

4. Greensboro officer’s near-death experience highlights why impaired driving can be fatal

Looking back at photos of his totaled police cruiser, Greensboro police Cpl. Nicholas Walton says he’s lucky to be alive. Two years ago, a drunken driver traveling at 80 mph crashed into the back of Walton’s car as he was parked on the side of the road. He came away from the crash with no serious injuries and says he’s one of the lucky ones.

5. Category 5 Hurricane Melissa will make landfall in Jamaica Tuesday

Hurricane Melissa is a powerful Category 5 hurricane in the Caribbean Sea. It’s expected to remain a powerful storm as it makes landfall in Jamaica Tuesday. Melissa formed on Tuesday, Oct. 21, becoming the 13th named storm of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. Melissa will begin to turn northward soon as it approaches Jamaica.

Your Notes for Tomorrow

• Gotham Awards for film nominations announced
• Monthly House Price Index/Housing Vacancies/Consumer Confidence Index
• Senate Armed Services nominations hearing of Brendan Rogers to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment, James Caggy to be Assistant Secretary of the Defense for Mission Capabilities, Joseph Jewell to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology, and Marc Berkowitz to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy

For most, the State Fair means delicious fried food, games and fun, but for workers behind the scenes, these long days can stretch from sunrise to beyond sunset. That’s where the North Carolina Campers on Mission comes in. It’s a group that has spent decades quietly working behind the scenes to make sure the people who make it happen are supported.

The Virginia Cavaliers escaped with a 17-16 victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels, needing overtime to prevail. The Cavaliers stopped the Tar Heels on a two-point conversion, which would have given North Carolina the win if successful. However, running back Benjamin Hall was inches short of reaching the pylon.

North Carolina controlled the flow of the contest, but ultimately, three turnovers, including an interception in the end zone, proved to be too much for the Tar Heels to overcome.

Not only was it a missed opportunity for North Carolina, but it also prevented the Duke Blue Devils from making up ground, despite being on a bye week.

Keeping all of that in mind, here is how the result of this game affects the Blue Devils’ chances of qualifying for the ACC Championship game later in December.

Obviously, it was not the end result that the Blue Devils were hoping for, but there are certainly reasons to feel positive from Duke’s perspective.

For one, the Cavaliers looked quite vulnerable in this contest, as they were outgained by nearly 100 yards, took six sacks, and were overall completely inept offensively.

Quarterback Chandler Morris’ performance was quite concerning, as he completed 20-of-35 pass attempts for 200 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He threw errant passes all game, including two consecutive misses near the goal line that were rudimentary throws.

The win sends the Cavaliers to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in conference play. However, watching this game, it is apparent that Virginia is not as good as its record.

Despite the victory furthering the Cavaliers’ control of their own destiny, Duke’s confidence should not waver when considering Virginia’s current position in the conference.

Virginia’s last three wins have come with a combined margin of victory of eight total points, which included a game-winning safety against Washington State last week and a game-clinching stop in overtime on Saturday against North Carolina.

Additionally, the Blue Devils will have their chance to take matters into their own hands when they host the Cavaliers on Nov. 15.

If Virginia plays remotely close to how it did on Saturday, unlike North Carolina, Duke will take advantage of every opportunity the Cavaliers present. Darian Mensah is light-years ahead of Gio Lopez, who was putrid, despite having ample opportunities to take control of the game.

Virginia was fortunate Lopez was the signal caller on the other side on Saturday. The junior quarterback attempted 5.8 yards per pass, and throwing two costly interceptions.

Duke is still within striking distance, and fortunately for the Blue Devils, they will have their opportunity to deal with Virginia themselves in a few weeks.

As always, make sure you stay up to date with all Duke content by following us on Facebook, by clicking HERE and following us on X (formerly Twitter) HERE