Zebulon Father Charged With Four Murders

Johnston County authorities say 38-year-old Wellington Delano Dickens III called 911 on Oct. 27, 2025, confessed to killing four of his children and deputies found multiple bodies inside the trunk of a car in the garage of the family home in Zebulon; a 3-year-old sibling was found alive and placed in Department of Social Services custody. The victims have been identified as Leah Dickens, 6; Zoe Dickens, 9; Wellington Dickens, 10; and 18-year-old stepson Sean, and investigators and the State Medical Examiner say the killings were spread over several months, beginning as early as May. Dickens has been charged with four counts of murder and is being held without bond as investigators continue forensic work and consider additional charges. Authorities, including the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, released the nearly seven-minute 911 call that contains graphic details but say no motive has been determined. Local reports and county nonpublic education records indicate the children were homeschooled and not registered at Dickens’ address, and investigators noted Dickens’ wife died in April 2024 as they piece together the timeline and circumstances.