Newly released search warrants have revealed the death of a fifth child connected to a man in eastern North Carolina, expanding an already horrifying case that began with a 911 call in late October. Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was charged with murder after he contacted authorities on October 27 to report that four of his children were dead in the trunk of a car at his home in Zebulon.
When Johnston County deputies arrived, they found the bodies in a vehicle on the property. Investigators said the remains appeared to have been there “for a long period of time.” Dickens allegedly told investigators he did not torture his children but acknowledged he may have over-punished them.
He said the first child to die was his 5-year-old daughter, who he claimed had passed away two months earlier. According to the warrant, he said he disciplined her, later checked on her, and discovered she was dead. He also said the child’s 9-year-old sister had her mouth taped shut after making comments about the death.
When he returned to check on her, he said she too had died. The two remaining children found in the trunk were boys, a 10-year-old and Dickens’s 18-year-old stepson. Dickens told authorities he believed both had died from malnutrition, WBTV reported.
Search warrants revealed another disturbing detail. Dickens admitted that a fifth child had died shortly after the family moved into the home. He said his 1-month-old baby boy had fallen ill and died. Rather than notify authorities, he allegedly wrapped the infant’s body and buried him in a four-foot-deep hole without any marker.
As of the time the warrants were made public, the baby’s remains had not yet been located. Deputies found one surviving child in the house when they arrived on October 27. That child was unharmed and taken into protective custody.
Investigators later searched the home and documented an “unusual amount” of cleaning supplies throughout the property. During a follow-up search, authorities noted a “hasty paint job” in parts of the house. The warrant indicated that the fresh paint was suspicious based on the way the children had died.
The case has sent shockwaves through the region as new details continue to emerge. Dickens remains in custody while investigators work to locate the buried infant and gather additional evidence. His next court appearance was scheduled for December 4, where prosecutors are expected to present further findings in what has become one of the most disturbing child death cases the county has seen.
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