A North Carolina father of four has been arrested and charged with murder in the deaths of his children — and investigators allege he invited dates to the home while concealing their bodies.
Wellington Delano Dickens III was arrested by Johnston County police in Zebulon, N.C., and charged with four counts of first-degree murder on Oct. 28, 2025, according to arrest records reviewed by the outlet. He is being held without bond.
Dickens, 38, reportedly called 911 and turned himself in, WBTV reported, citing local authorities. Investigators said he told them he did not torture the children, but “over-punished” them. It remains unclear whether the children were ever reported missing.
Authorities allegedly found the bodies of four children in the trunk of Dickens’ car, where investigators believe they had been left “for a long period of time,” according to the outlet. Three of the children were between 5 and 10 years old, and the fourth was Dickens’ 18-year-old stepchild, the outlet reported.
A separate 3-year-old child was found inside the home unharmed and was later placed in protective custody, the outlet reported, citing the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.
During a search of the residence, police said they found two cell phones, one of which allegedly contained messages between Dickens and men he met through Grindr, WBTV reported, citing the search warrant. Investigators also alleged that Dickens had dates visit the home during the period in which the bodies were concealed.
According to WBTV, Dickens told police the first victim was a 5-year-old girl. He allegedly said he disciplined her and later found her dead when he checked on her. Dickens then allegedly told investigators he taped the mouth of a second victim — a 9-year-old girl — after she made a comment about the first child’s death, and later found her dead as well.
Dickens allegedly told police he believed the final two victims — a 10-year-old boy and an 18-year-old boy — died from malnutrition, WBTV reported, citing police.
In a separate allegation, Dickens also reportedly confessed that a 1-month-old baby died in his care after a brief illness, and that he buried the infant in an unmarked grave about four feet deep in woods behind the house, ABC 11 reported in November 2025, citing authorities. The outlet also reported, citing the warrant, that Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Jones, died after a miscarriage and before the murders.
