A man accused of killing his three children and stepson has reportedly admitted to burying a fifth child in the woods.
Wellington Dickens III informed authorities that the fifth child, a 1-month-old baby named Riley, was his son. According to NBC News, WBTV, and Spectrum News 1, Riley died shortly after he moved to a home in Zebulon, North Carolina, east of Raleigh.
Dickens told officials that Riley’s condition deteriorated before he died. He then allegedly buried the child in the woods.
According to an affidavit acquired by NBC News on Tuesday, Nov. 18, relatives stated that when Dickens relocated to Zebulon, they never heard or saw Riley again. However, the infant’s death was not recorded, and officials have yet to locate the baby’s remains.
According to NBC News, Johnston County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeff Caldwell also stated that the hunt for the child’s remains is still ongoing, with authorities adding that improved weather will allow for a smoother recovery process of the body.
“This investigation is ongoing, and additional details will be released as they become available and appropriate,” Caldwell said in a statement to PEOPLE.
Dickens allegedly called officials on October 27 and confessed to killing his four other children.
“Dickens continued to speak with the dispatcher, saying that he did not torture his children, he over-disciplined his children, and wanted to turn himself in,” the document said, according to NBC News.
“Johnston County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the caller’s address and located Mr. Dickens,” officials stated in a press release at the time. “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.”
The official noted, “Mr. Dickens’ 3-year-old son was found unharmed in the residence.” A preliminary inquiry revealed what seemed to be multiple bodies in the trunk of a car in the garage. Deputies discovered what seemed to be human remains in the trunk that had been there for a long time.
Officials identified the fatalities as Leah Dickens, 6, Zoe Dickens, 9, Wellington Dickens IV, 10, and Dickens’ stepson Sean Brasfield, 18, according to NBC News.
The affidavit received by NBC News indicates that Wellington IV and Brasfield died of hunger.
Two months before her brother’s death, Leah was discovered dead after her father went to check on her after allegedly “disciplining” her, and Zoe died after Dickens taped her mouth after she made comments about her late sister Zoe, according to authorities.
“When he returned to check on her, she was found to be deceased,” the document stated.
According to PEOPLE, Leah was supposedly killed in May, and Zoe died in August. Wellington IV died in either August or September, according to the sheriff, and Sean was reportedly murdered in September, according to The News & Observer.
Stephanie Rae Jones Dickens, Sean’s mother, died in April 2024, according to court documents for her estate. She had been married to Dickens since August 2015, according to her obituary.
Dickens is currently facing four counts of murder and is being held without bond at the Johnston County Jail.
