A deeply unsettling case in North Carolina has taken a harrowing turn, as Wellington Dickens III has confessed to murdering four of his children and allegedly burying a fifth child, a newborn, in his backyard. The chilling admissions emerged following a 911 call made on October 27, where Dickens reportedly confessed to the killings while outlining the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Authorities responded to the call at Dickens’s home in Zebulon, just outside Raleigh, where they discovered the bodies of four children—three of his own and one stepson—wrapped and sealed in the trunk of a vehicle parked in his garage. The victims include his 18-year-old stepson Shawn Brazfield, who was allegedly killed in September 2025, and his biological children: 10-year-old Wellington Dickens, 9-year-old Zoe Dickens, and 6-year-old Leah Dickens, who reportedly died between May and September of this year.
In a disturbing twist, Dickens has also claimed that a fifth child, a one-month-old named Riley, died in May 2023. According to police statements, Dickens said he did not seek medical help for Riley and later buried the child in the woods near his home. This revelation has raised multiple questions about the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the lack of oversight in the children’s lives, as they were reportedly homeschooled without proper registration with the state.
The local sheriff expressed his horror at the case, stating that there was no known motive for the murders and emphasizing the profound tragedy of a father committing such acts against his own children. Dickens’s past appears troubled, marked by previous run-ins with child welfare agencies and troubling legal battles stemming from his extreme religious beliefs. Notably, he faced misdemeanor child abuse charges in 2015, which were later dismissed, and has been involved in multiple lawsuits related to his beliefs about medical care and child welfare.
As the investigation unfolds, Dickens has been indicted on several charges, including first-degree murder. If convicted, he could face the death penalty, as North Carolina allows for capital punishment in severe cases such as this. The lack of clarity surrounding the motivations for the murders is compounded by Dickens’s bizarre claims and erratic behavior, which have drawn scrutiny from legal experts and mental health professionals.
The revelation about the fifth child’s death adds another layer of complexity to the case. While Dickens has admitted to the child’s existence and death, authorities have yet to locate the body, which complicates potential charges related to that child’s demise. Legal experts suggest that without physical evidence, pursuing charges may be challenging, as confessions alone may not suffice for prosecution.
This tragic saga highlights the oversight failures in the children’s lives, exacerbated by their homeschooling status, which may have allowed the family to escape scrutiny. Neighbors expressed shock at the unfolding events, having seen nothing unusual during their years living next to the Dickens household. The case raises critical questions about child welfare and the protections afforded to children in similar circumstances.
As the investigation continues, the community grapples with the implications of these revelations, and the legal proceedings against Wellington Dickens are expected to be lengthy and complex. Each new detail paints a picture of a family in crisis, culminating in unspeakable tragedy.
