North Carolina Father, Wellington Delano Dickens, Arrested After Admitting to Killing Four of His Children; One Child Found Alive

Zebulon, North Carolina – October 29, 2025 – A small North Carolina community is reeling after a horrific discovery inside a Zebulon home. Authorities say Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, a former Iraq War veteran, called 911 late Monday night and calmly admitted to killing his four children. When deputies arrived, they found one surviving child inside the home — and the bodies of the others hidden in the trunk of a car in the garage.

According to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, the chilling call came in around 10 p.m. on Monday, October 29. When first responders reached Dickens’ residence, they found his 3-year-old son alive and unharmed. A subsequent search of the property uncovered the remains of four children who investigators believe had been dead for months.

Wellington Delano Dickens has been charged with the murders of his four children after he called 911 to chillingly confess to the crime.

Authorities have identified the victims as Leah Dickens (6), Zoe Dickens (9), Wellington Dickens Jr. (10), and Sean Brasfield (18), Dickens’ stepson. Detectives say the killings occurred over several months — beginning in May and continuing through September of this year. All the children were reportedly homeschooled.

Troubled Family History Emerges

Court and welfare records reveal that Dickens had previous interactions with child protective services. In 2016, Dickens and his late wife, Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens, were accused of neglecting a newborn after allegedly refusing medical care.

Stephanie Dickens died in April 2024 from medical complications while three months pregnant. Reports indicate she had refused hospital treatment despite heavy bleeding. At the time of her death, she left behind five children, all of whom continued living with their father in the family’s Zebulon home.

 

North Carolina Father, Wellington Delano Dickens, Arrested After Admitting to Killing Four of His Children; One Child Found Alive

Family Members in Shock

Relatives say Dickens’ actions were unthinkable. His great-uncle, Charles Moore, told WRAL-TV that he last saw Dickens about a year ago and didn’t notice any warning signs.

“Like anybody else, I was just shocked,” Moore said. “You hear about things like this happening to other people — you never think it would happen in your own family.”

Moore added that Dickens had struggled since returning from military service.

“We know he had some problems,” he said. “He was in the service, and I think he had issues ever since he came back.”

The Ongoing Investigation

Authorities say it remains unclear how Dickens was supporting his children after his wife’s death. The Johnston County Medical Examiner’s Office is now working to determine the causes of death for each of the four victims.

Dickens was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and formally charged with first-degree murder. He is currently being held at the Johnston County Jail without bond. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.

Investigators have not shared details on what led Dickens to commit the murders, but they describe the case as one of the most disturbing in recent memory.