A North Carolina father of five is facing murder charges after allegedly killing his children. Wellington Dickens III allegedly called authorities himself to tell them he had killed four of his children. He reportedly hid the bodies in his garage after each killing. Currently, police are still trying to figure out what might have possessed him to kill his children. He also shared that his wife had died tragically. Although he’s only been charged with one murder thus far, that is expected to change as the investigation continues.
Johnston County 911 received a call on October 27, 2025 just after 10 p.m., WTVD reported. The call came from Wellington Dickens III, who allegedly told them he killed four of his five children. When deputies from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home, Dickens told them his 3-year-old son was in the house but that his other four children were dead in the trunk of a car in his garage.
“A preliminary investigation discovered what were believed to be multiple bodies in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage,” the sheriff’s office shared in a news release. “Deputies determined what was believed to be human remains in the trunk that had been there for a long period of time.”
Wellington Dickens was immediately arrested and initially charged with one count of murder for the death of one of his juvenile children. He is being held at the Johnston County Jail without bail, the news release notes. “This is an active investigation with multiple additional charges anticipated as the investigation unfolds.”
Dickens made his first court appearance on October 28. The deceased children were also identified, NBC News reported. Six-year-old Leah Dickens, 9-year-old Zoe Dickens, and 10-year-old Wellington Dickens were the suspect’s biological children. Sean Brasfield, 18, was his stepson.
Early on October 29, a news conference was held and more details on the case were shared. According to Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell, all of the children were homeschooled. He also gave a timeline for the children’s deaths based on the early investigation.
Leah Dickens was killed in May 2025, while Zoe was killed in August. Wellington was killed in either late August or early September, and Sean Brasfield was killed in September, WTVD reported. The bodies of the children have been sent to the medical examiner to determine cause of death. A motive for the killings has yet to be determined.
During the conference, Sheriff Bizzell also shared that Dickens’ wife, Stephanie, died at their home on April 21, 2024. She was three months pregnant at the time of her death and had been experiencing heavy bleeding. She refused medical attention, and Dickens found her dead.
Wellington Dickens was expected back in court on October 29.
