ZEBULON, N.C. — A Johnston County man has been charged with four counts of murder after allegedly confessing to killing his children and leading authorities to human remains found inside a vehicle parked in his home’s garage.

The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Wellington Delano Dickens III, was taken into custody on Tuesday and is currently being held without bond at the Johnston County Jail, according to the sheriff’s office and court records.

Authorities say Dickens initially faced a single count of murder on Tuesday morning; however, three additional counts were filed later in the day after investigators uncovered further evidence at the scene.

According to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, Dickens called 911 on Monday evening, informing the operator that he had killed his children.

Deputies were immediately dispatched to the home, located on the outskirts of Zebulon, approximately 25 miles east of Raleigh.

When deputies arrived, they found Dickens’ 3-year-old son alive inside the residence, as the suspect had described.

However, Dickens also told responding deputies that four of his other children were deceased and that their remains were located in the trunk of a vehicle inside his garage.

Upon inspection, deputies discovered multiple bodies inside the vehicle’s trunk. Investigators reported that the remains appeared to have been there for an extended period of time.

According to arrest warrants, authorities believe the children were killed on May 1, 2024.

The victims have been identified as three of Dickens’ biological children, ages 6, 9, and 10, and his 18-year-old stepchild.

Arrest warrants for three of the victims confirm their ages, while the fourth warrant does not list a date of birth.

Dickens made his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon, where a judge confirmed that he will be appointed legal counsel. As of Tuesday evening, the name of his attorney had not been listed in court documents.

Records show that Dickens had endured multiple personal tragedies in recent years.

His wife, Stephanie, died in April 2024, and court filings from her estate indicated that five children were living in their Zebulon home at the time. Additionally, Dickens’ father died in a 2023 vehicle crash in Lee County, North Carolina.

A relative, Charles Moore, who identified himself as Dickens’ great-uncle, told WRAL-TV that Dickens was an Iraq War veteran. Moore said he had not seen his nephew in about a year but that, during their last encounter, Dickens appeared to be doing well.

On Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement activity surrounded the family’s home. A police cruiser blocked off access to the street, and investigators from the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) erected tents in the driveway as they processed the scene. The residence is located in a recently developed subdivision of one- and two-story homes, bordered by farmland and an old farmhouse near the entrance.

Neighbors described the family as quiet and withdrawn, particularly following the death of Dickens’ wife earlier this year. Miranda Dorta, who lives nearby, recalled seeing the children walking to and from the school bus, while another neighbor, Terry Fuller, occasionally mowed their lawn when the grass grew tall.

Fuller said the community, while relatively new, is close-knit and would have rallied to help if Dickens had reached out.

“I’ve noticed the kids haven’t been out playing for quite some time, but hadn’t put two and two together,” Fuller said. “And I woke up to this this morning. It’s pretty awful.”

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killings. The sheriff’s office has not released a possible motive, but officials have described the case as one of the most disturbing and tragic incidents the county has seen in recent years.

Once a quiet farming town known for its tobacco heritage and railway stop, Zebulon has rapidly grown into a suburban community on the outskirts of the Raleigh-Durham area, now shaken by the magnitude of this crime.