A North Carolina man is charged with murder after telling authorities he killed his kids

ZEBULON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man who told authorities he had killed four of his children and that the bodies were in the trunk of a vehicle at his home has been charged with murder after sheriffs deputies found human remains in his garage.

Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was charged Tuesday with one count of murder in the death of one of his children and is being held without bond in the Johnston County Jail, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and court records. Multiple additional charges are anticipated, according to a sheriff’s office news release on Facebook.

Dickens, of Zebulon, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Raleigh, called 911 on Monday evening and told the operator he had killed the children, the statement said.

Johnston County deputies responded and found Dickens’ 3-year-old son unharmed inside the residence.

A preliminary investigation found what are believed to be “multiple bodies” in the trunk of a vehicle in the garage and that the remains had been there for a long time, the release said. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the address.

The sheriff’s office said investigators believe Dickens killed three of his biological children, ages 6, 9 and 10, as well as his 18-year-old stepchild.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office was working to identify the remains.

Court records show Dickens appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon on the murder charge related to the killing of a juvenile victim whose name was not provided. The arrest warrant says authorities believe the victim was killed May 1.

His next scheduled court appearance is Nov. 13. Court records show he will be appointed a court-appointed attorney, but a name was not immediately listed.