A harrowing case has emerged from North Carolina, where a 38-year-old man stands accused of murdering four of his children, whose bodies were discovered in the trunk of his vehicle last month. The man, Wellington Delano Dickens III, allegedly confessed to the heinous crimes and has now reportedly admitted to burying a fifth child in the woods behind his residence earlier in 2023.

Following his arrest, Dickens has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. The victims include his three biological children, aged 5, 9, and 10, and his 18-year-old stepson. These revelations came to light through recently unsealed search warrant applications that provide a deeper insight into the grim details surrounding the case.

The chilling sequence of events began on the night of October 27th. At approximately 10 p.m., Dickens made a call to 911, allegedly admitting to the dispatcher that he had “killed his children.” During this call, he provided his address on the 100 block of Springtooth Drive in Zebulon, North Carolina, a location roughly 175 miles east of Charlotte.

According to a statement from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Dickens informed deputies that his 3-year-old son was unharmed and inside the house, while the bodies of his other four children were located in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage. This information was detailed in a prior news release by the Sheriff’s Office.

“Mr. Dickens stated to deputies that his 3-year-old son was inside the house alive and four of his other children were deceased inside the trunk of a vehicle in the garage of the residence,” the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a prior news release.

Upon arriving at the address, first responders said they located Dickens’ 3-year-old son “unharmed in the residence.” But deputies said they soon discovered “what were believed to be multiple bodies in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage.”

Following a preliminary investigation, deputies determined that the human remains from the trunk “had been there for a long period of time.”

In an interview with detectives, Dickens said the deaths of his 5-year-old daughter and her 9-year-old sister resulted from punishments he admitted may have been too harsh, Charlotte CBS affiliate WBTV reported.

Dickens reportedly said that sometime in June, he had disciplined the 5-year-old before sending her to her room. He claimed that when he went back to the room to check on her, she was dead. When the 9-year-old made comments to Dickens about her younger sister’s death, Dickens reportedly taped the child’s mouth shut. When he came back to check on the 9-year-old, he claimed she too had died.

Dickens said the 10-year-old, whom he had been teaching to box, had stopped eating and was the third to die, likely due to malnutrition, Raleigh NBC affiliate WRAL reported.

The 18-year-old was the last to perish. Dickens said the teen died in September, also likely from malnutrition.

Dickens also revealed that shortly after moving to the Zebulon home in May 2023, his newborn son Riley’s health deteriorated, Raleigh CBS affiliate WNCN reported. He claimed the boy was about 1 month old when he died. After wrapping Riley’s body in paper and plastic materials, Dickens said he brought the baby’s body into the woods behind his home and buried him in a grave about 4 feet deep.

Deputies have reportedly been unable to find the boy’s body.

The sheriff’s office told WNCN that there was not sufficient evidence for additional charges against Dickens, but emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing. Dickens’ 3-year-old son was placed in the custody of the state’s Department of Social Services.

Dickens’ neighbor, Josalyn Tabron, told WNCN that the community never even knew about Riley.

“This is crazy. The whole situation is really crazy,” Tabron said in an interview with the station. “The whole situation is really devastating because it’s like, you know, how could somebody actually do this to their kids? But it’s just crazy.”

Dickens is in custody at Raleigh Central Prison, where he is being held without bond. He is currently scheduled to appear in court again on Dec. 4.