Dad's chilling phone call to police after 'murdering his 4 kids and hiding them in boot'

A father made a chilling call to police after allegedly murdering his four children. Wellington Delano Dickens, 38, has been charged with killing his three biological children, aged 6, 9 and 10, as well as his 18-year-old stepchild after police found human remains in the boot of his car.

Dickens, of called Springtooth Drive in Zebulon, North Carolina, phoned police on Monday (October 27) and admitted: "I killed my children ... it's my fault ... it's bad." Despite finding four sets of human remains in his car parked in the garage, a three-year-old was found alive inside the home. Local Sheriff Steve Bizzell said officers believe the murders took place between May and late August or early September.

As reported by the Los Angeles Magazine, the youngest child is believed to have been killed first while the 18-year-old was the last. Police believe the bodies had been in Dickens' car boot for a "long period of time".

Johnston County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook: "Mr. Dickens relayed to the call taker he had killed his children. Johnston County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to the caller's address and located Mr. Dickens.

"Mr. Dickens stated to deputies that his 3-year-old son was inside the house alive and 4 of his other children were deceased inside the trunk of a vehicle in the garage of the residence.

"Mr. Dickens' 3-year-old son was located and found unharmed in the residence. A preliminary investigation discovered what were believed to be multiple bodies in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage.

"Deputies determined what was believed to be human remains in the trunk that had been there for a long period of time."

The children were homeschooled, and the family were described as reclusive. Officials added that Dickens, a former Iraq War veteran, lost his wife Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens in April 2024 following complications from a miscarriage.

The family were rarely seen outside of their hom,e and some neighbours reported they did not follow typical routines. Their lack of outside contact meant that the deaths were able to go unreported for months, with the bodies showing signs of decomposition consistent with long-concealed remains.

Dickens has been remanded in custody and will return to court on November 13. The 38-year-old faces the death penalty under North Carolina law if he is convicted of the murders.

However, the investigation remains active, and the State Medical Examiner's Office has been called to help determine the four causes of death. District Attorney Jason Waller called the case "unimaginable" and vowed to pursue justice with "strength, compassion and respect for the rule of law."