Johnston County Dad Accused of Killing Four Children Now Facing Death Penalty
JOHNSTON COUNTY, N.C. –A Johnston County father who chillingly dialed 911 and confessed to killing four of his own children is now officially facing the death penalty.
MUST HEAR: Johnston County Father Admits To Killing His Four Children In Released 911 Call [LISTEN]
Wellington Dickens III appeared in court Thursday in Smithfield for a tense pretrial conference, where prosecutors laid out the horrific scope of the case and announced they will seek capital punishment.
Investigators say Dickens murdered three of his biological children along with his stepson over the course of several months, between May and October of this year.
According to court records, the case unraveled after Dickens himself contacted authorities in October and admitted to the killings, triggering an investigation that uncovered a trail of unspeakable violence inside the family home.
During Thursday’s hearing, Johnston County District Attorney Jason Waller told the judge that the gravity of the case left his office with no other option.
“We do believe there are aggravating circumstances in this case, and based on that, the State would declare this case capital and seek the death penalty against Mr. Dickens,” Waller said in court.
Prosecutors cited the sheer number of victims, the brutal nature of the killings, and the sequence in which the murders allegedly occurred as key factors in their decision.
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Dickens sat silently beside his attorney throughout the hearing and did not address the court. The judge approved the state’s request to move forward with capital charges and scheduled Dickens’ next court appearance for March 27, 2026. It is still unclear whether he will physically appear in the courtroom at that time.
The case has rocked Johnston County and drawn national attention due to the disturbing details and the fact that the alleged confession came directly from the father himself.
Dickens remains behind bars.
1 thought on “Johnston County Dad Who Admitted to Killing Four Children Now Facing Death Penalty”
Is this worse than what Jose Cristian Bravo-Martinez did? He shot and killed Joaquin Gabriel Hernandez and Derrick Lamont Leach and the news has not reported on it.