Newly filed search warrants say Wellington Delano Dickens III used the Grindr app to invite multiple men to his Johnston County home in late 2025 — a period when investigators allege the bodies of his children were decomposing in the trunk of a car parked in his garage. Dickens, 38, is jailed without bond on four counts of murder in the deaths discovered Oct. 27 after he called 911 and surrendered, authorities said.
Prosecutors and detectives outlined the claim in warrants signed in mid-January and released this week, describing text threads in which Dickens introduced himself to men he had met on the app and arranged visits to the Springtooth Drive residence. The filings say those visitors “frequented the home during the time span of the murders taking place” and were present while the victims’ remains were inside the garage. The case, among the most disturbing in recent North Carolina memory, has already produced hundreds of pages of records, including the 911 call in which a man identifying himself as Dickens said he had killed his children and would wait for deputies.
Authorities previously identified the victims as Leah, 6; Zoe, 9; and Wellington Jr., 10 — Dickens’ biological children — and 18-year-old stepson Sean Brasfield. A three-year-old son was found alive in the home when deputies arrived. Investigators have said the killings occurred months apart in 2025, with the bodies kept in the trunk for an extended period before the discovery. The newly disclosed warrants say detectives also sought access to Dickens’ phones, tablets and cloud accounts, along with door-camera footage and nearby surveillance video, to build a minute-by-minute timeline and verify who visited the property.
In court documents, detectives wrote that digital evidence recovered from Dickens’ devices included Grindr introductions followed by text exchanges that arranged meetups at the house. The warrants do not list the visitors by name or specify whether they have been interviewed. Investigators also requested permission to search a wooded area near the home after Dickens allegedly mentioned a deceased infant; the filings do not state whether any remains were found. The medical examiner has not publicly released causes of death for the four victims. Officials have not announced recovery of a murder weapon, and no additional arrests have been reported.
Neighbors on Springtooth Drive told reporters the garage door was often closed and the family kept to itself after the death of Dickens’ wife in 2024. Public records show Dickens, an Iraq War veteran, lived at the address with his children and stepchild and had limited contact with nearby families. Deputies said the trunk holding the remains was inside a vehicle parked in the garage. The sheriff described the scene in October as “horrific,” with decomposition indicating the victims had been dead for “a long period of time.” The surviving child was placed with social services.
Digital forensics now sits at the center of the case. Detectives are analyzing chat logs, call detail records and location data, comparing them with plate-reader hits and footage from businesses along Wendell Boulevard and other nearby corridors. The warrants say investigators are attempting to identify every visitor to the home during the months when the killings allegedly occurred. Prosecutors in Johnston County are coordinating with state investigators and have said they will seek indictments once the forensic testing and interviews are complete. Defense counsel has not commented publicly in recent days.
Past filings outline an alleged timeline: one child killed in early May, another in August, a third in late August or early September, and the 18-year-old in September. Deputies found the four bodies after Dickens’ Oct. 27 call to 911. The sheriff’s office has not disclosed the children’s exact causes or manner of death pending lab results. Officials said there was no indication that visitors who came to the home via Grindr were aware of the remains in the garage, and the warrants do not allege their involvement in the killings.
In Johnston County court, a judge previously ordered Dickens held without bond and set early procedural dates while discovery begins. Prosecutors have not said whether they will pursue the death penalty. Upcoming steps include grand jury consideration of upgraded charges should additional evidence support them, continued forensic analysis of the vehicle and trunk, and review of any new witness statements from men identified through the app messages. The district attorney’s office has not announced a target date for indictment.
Outside the subdivision where deputies first converged on Oct. 27, neighbors said they still struggle to reconcile the quiet street with the details in the warrants. A small memorial that appeared in the fall has faded in winter rain. “I don’t think anyone on this block will forget what we saw,” a resident said. “It’s unspeakable.” Others said they were surprised to read about the alleged visitors, saying they rarely noticed extra cars at the home in the months before the arrests.
As of Wednesday, Dickens remained in the Johnston County jail on four murder counts, and the investigation continued under the sheriff’s office with assistance from state agents. The next milestone is expected to be a round of indictments once digital forensics and autopsy findings are complete.
Author note: Last updated January 22, 2026.