Father Charged with Murdering 4 Children Had Dates Over While Concealing Their Bodies: Reports

A father of four was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the deaths of his children — and police allege that the man had dates visit the home in which he concealed 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 PEOPLE. He is currently being held without bond.

Dickens, 38, reportedly called 911 and turned himself in, allegedly telling investigators that he did not torture the children, but “over-punished” them, WBTV reported, citing local authorities. It is unclear if the children were ever reported missing.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office for comment on the case.

Police reportedly found the bodies of the four children inside the trunk of Dickens’ car, where authorities believe they had been left “for a long period of time,” the outlet reports. His three children were between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, and the fourth victim was Dickens’ 18-year-old stepchild, according to the outlet.

Another 3-year-old child was discovered inside the home unharmed, and has since been placed in protective custody, the outlet reported, citing the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

While searching the residence, police say that they discovered two cell phones, one of which allegedly contained messages between Dickens and men he met up with through Grindr, WBTV reported, citing the search warrant.

Dickens allegedly told police that the first victim was the 5-year-old girl, per the outlet. Dickens claimed to have disciplined her and later found her dead upon checking on her. Dickens then allegedly told police he taped the second victim, a 9-year-old girl’s, mouth shut when she made a comment about the first victim’s death, and he similarly later found her dead.

Dickens allegedly told police he believed the final two victims, 10-year-old and 18-year-old boys, died as a result of malnutrition, WBTV reports, citing police.

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Dickens allegedly also confessed that a 1-month-old baby died in his care after a brief illness, and he buried the baby in an unmarked grave four feet deep in the woods behind the house, ABC 11 reported in November 2025, citing authorities. Dickens’ wife, Stephanie Jones, died after a miscarriage and before the murders, the outlet reports, citing the warrant.

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.