A North Carolina man, Wellington Dickens III, 38, told investigators he buried a 1-month-old infant named Riley behind his Zebulon home after the child’s health declined, an affidavit says. Dickens had earlier called 911 and admitted to killing four other children; deputies found a "body bag" in his car and a 3-year-old unharmed at the home. The four deceased children were identified and officials said remains had been at the location for an extended period. Authorities searched for Riley’s remains but have not recovered them; Dickens is held without bond while the investigation continues.
North Carolina Father Accused of Killing Four Children Says He Buried Infant Behind Home, Affidavit Says
A North Carolina man, Wellington Dickens III, 38, told investigators he buried a 1-month-old infant named Riley behind his Zebulon home after the child’s health declined, an affidavit says. Dickens had earlier called 911 and admitted to killing four other children; deputies found a "body bag" in his car and a 3-year-old unharmed at the home. The four deceased children were identified and officials said remains had been at the location for an extended period. Authorities searched for Riley’s remains but have not recovered them; Dickens is held without bond while the investigation continues.
12:57 PM, 11/19/2025Society
A North Carolina man who called 911 last month and admitted to killing four of his children also told investigators he buried a fifth child — a 1-month-old named Riley — in the woods behind his home, according to an affidavit obtained by authorities.
Wellington Dickens III, 38, is charged with murder in connection with the deaths of four children. The affidavit, written by a detective with the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, says Dickens told investigators that Riley’s health declined shortly after the family moved into a home in Zebulon, east of Raleigh, and that he wrapped the infant in either plastic or paper before burying the baby behind the residence.
Search for the infant's remains
Relatives told investigators they had neither seen nor heard from Riley after Dickens moved to the home, and the infant’s death was never reported, the affidavit says. Authorities searched the area Dickens identified but did not recover remains; officials said improved weather and additional resources would assist recovery efforts. Johnston County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jeff Caldwell said the search for Riley’s remains is ongoing and that no additional charges related to Riley have been filed.
Admissions and scene at the home
The affidavit states Dickens called 911 on Oct. 27 just after 10 p.m. and told the dispatcher that he had killed his children. He reportedly said he did not torture them but that he "over disciplined" them and wanted to turn himself in.
When deputies responded, they found a 3-year-old child at the home unharmed and discovered what the affidavit described as a "body bag" in the trunk of Dickens’ Honda Civic, which was parked in the garage. Responding officers reported a strong smell of decomposition and an overwhelming number of insects around the bag.
Victims identified and alleged circumstances
The sheriff’s office identified the four deceased children as Leah Dickens, 6; Zoe Dickens, 9; Wellington Dickens IV, 10; and Sean Brasfield, 18 (Brasfield was Dickens’ stepson). Officials said the remains had been at the location "for a long period of time," according to the affidavit.
In the affidavit, Dickens is reported to have described different circumstances for each death: he said the 10-year-old stopped eating while Dickens was teaching him to box and appeared to die of malnutrition; he said the 18-year-old also appeared to have died from malnutrition. Dickens told investigators that the youngest of the four, 6-year-old Leah, died about two months earlier after he "disciplined" her and later found her dead. He said the 9-year-old began making comments about her deceased sister, so he taped her mouth shut as discipline; when he returned to check on her, she was found dead, the document states.
Dickens is being held without bond on the murder charges. His attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Note: The details above come from an affidavit and are allegations. Investigations are ongoing and we will update this report as authorities release more information.