‘I Killed My Children’: North Carolina Father’s Chilling 911 Call Released After Deputies Find Four Kids Dead in Car Trunk
ZEBULON, N.C. — Authorities in Johnston County have released a disturbing 911 recording in which a North Carolina father calmly confesses to killing his four children, describing in detail how he beat, starved, and “disciplined” them over a period of months before finally calling police.
Wellington Dickens III, of Zebulon, was arrested Monday night after telling a 911 telecommunicator, “I killed my children. It’s all my fault.” Deputies responding to his home later discovered the bodies of four children in the trunk of a vehicle inside the garage.
The call, which lasts nearly seven minutes, reveals Dickens confessing to a string of horrific acts he claimed were driven by divine influence.
“It wasn’t up to me,” Dickens said during the call. “God influenced me… I was supposed to make those decisions, and it just spiraled. It got worse and worse, and I just can’t take it anymore.”
The Victims and Timeline of Deaths
Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell confirmed that the children were killed over a span of four months between May and September 2025. Investigators believe Dickens continued living in the home during that time.
The victims were identified as:
- Leah Dickens, 6 – believed to have been killed in May
- Zoe Dickens, 9 – killed in August
- Wellington Dickens Jr., 10 – killed in late August or early September
- Sean Brasfield, 18 (stepchild) – killed in September
When deputies arrived, Dickens told them his 3-year-old son was still alive and inside the house. Authorities immediately removed the child to safety.
A Shocking Confession
In the 911 call, Dickens tells the dispatcher that he “beat on” his children and deprived them of food as punishment, insisting the first death was an “accident.”
“I didn’t like, cut nobody or shoot nobody,” Dickens explained. “It started out as me over-disciplining… not forcing them to eat. I thought I was trying to do the right thing.”
At one point, Dickens can be heard breaking down emotionally, saying he had tried to call a lawyer before phoning 911 but ultimately “just couldn’t take it anymore.”
“I was basically trying to turn myself in without it being extra,” he said. “I’ve never done this before… This stuff is crazy.”
Deputies’ Response
When deputies arrived at the home on Center Street, Dickens told the operator he was unarmed and willing to surrender.
“If you want me to, I’ll come outside in my underwear,” he told dispatchers. “I’m willing to do whatever you need me to do.”
Moments later, officers entered the residence and arrested him without incident. The sheriff’s office later confirmed Dickens had smoked marijuana and consumed champagne earlier in the evening.
The Charges and Ongoing Investigation
Dickens has been charged with four counts of murder and remains in custody at the Johnston County Detention Center. Sheriff Bizzell described the case as one of the most disturbing his department has ever handled.
“We’re dealing with unimaginable tragedy,” Bizzell said in a statement. “These were innocent children whose lives were taken in a horrific manner. Our hearts are broken for the surviving family members.”
Authorities are still investigating the exact causes of death and the sequence of events, with autopsies pending from the medical examiner’s office.
The surviving 3-year-old child is now under the care of social services.
For continuing coverage and community updates on this developing case, visit SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.
