In a tragic incident that has shocked the community, a father in North Carolina has been arrested following a chilling confession of killing his four children and concealing their bodies in his car’s trunk. Wellington Delano Dickens III, aged 38, was apprehended on Monday and faces charges of murder relating to the death of a juvenile, according to authorities.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office detailed the sequence of events in a news release. On the night of October 27, at approximately 10 p.m., Dickens made a distressing call to 911, allegedly admitting to the dispatcher that he had killed his children. He provided his address on Springtooth Drive in Zebulon, North Carolina—a location situated around 175 miles east of Charlotte.

When authorities arrived at the scene, Dickens reportedly informed them that his 3-year-old son was inside the house and unharmed, while the bodies of his other four children were in the trunk of a car in the garage. Responders quickly confirmed the presence of his young son, safe inside the residence. However, their investigation in the garage unveiled a grim discovery of what appeared to be multiple bodies in the vehicle’s trunk.

Preliminary inquiries by deputies revealed that the remains had been hidden for a significant amount of time. A search warrant was subsequently issued and executed to thoroughly examine Dickens’ home. Investigators have since concluded that the victims included three of Dickens’ biological children, aged 6, 9, and 10, alongside his 18-year-old stepchild.

Following a preliminary investigation, deputies determined that the human remains from the trunk “had been there for a long period of time.”

Police soon obtained and executed a search warrant for Dickens’ home. Following the search, investigators said they “believed Mr. Dickens killed three of his biological children, ages 6, 9 and 10, and his 18-year-old stepchild.”

The Office of the State Medical Examiner responded to the home along with agents from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, who were tasked with assisting sheriff’s detectives.

Police said that due to “the apparent time since death,” identification of the bodies must be confirmed by the medical examiner’s office. No details were disclosed regarding the victims’ suspected cause of death.

Police did not speculate as to a possible motive for the alleged killings or why Dickens allegedly chose to leave his youngest child alive.

The defendant is currently being held in the Johnston County Jail without bond. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities emphasized that the probe into the children’s deaths remains ongoing, adding that additional charges against Dickens are “anticipated as the investigation unfolds.” Police urged anyone with information relevant to the case to contact the department.