North Carolina – In a series of court fiIings last week, prosecutors in North Carolina revealed new details in the investigation of a father accused of kiIIing four of his chiIdren and storing their bodies in the trunk of his vehicIe. The 38-year-old defendant, WeIIington, is charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths of three of his bioIogical children and a stepchiId, court records and sheriff’s office statements show. He remains in custody without bond at the county jail as the case moves through the legal process.

The investigation began in Oct. last year when the parent called 911 and told an emergency dispatcher that he had kiIIed his chiIdren. In that call, which North Carolina authorities later released, the parent is quoted as saying, “I kiIIed my children,” and indicating that it was his fault. He identified his home and told deputies that his 3-year-old child was alive inside the residence but that four of his other children were dead inside his vehicIe in the garage.

Deputies responded to the address shortly after the call and located the 3-year-old child unharmed inside the home. They then examined the vehicle in the garage and discovered what they described as human remains in the trunk that had been there “for a long period of time.” Investigators secured the scene and began a methodical investigation that included obtaining search warrants for the defendant’s home, his computer, and his cellphones as part of their evidence-gathering process.

North Carolina authorities subsequently identified the victims as the defendant’s biological children 5-year-old Leeah; 9-year-old Zoa; 10-year-old WeIIington and his 18-year-old stepchiId S. BrasfieId. Based on interviews and the investigation timeline outlined by the Sheriff’s Office, the killings allegedly occurred over several months between May and September last year. Autopsies and positive identification of the victims were pending at the state medical examiner’s office due to the advanced decomposition of the remains.

The father told investigators that his children died over several months several years ago. He said his 5-year-old chiId died after he disciplined her and sent her to her room, admitting the punishment may have been too harsh. He claimed his 9-year-old chiId later died after he taped her mouth shut when she spoke about her sister’s death. When he came back to check on the 9-year-old, he claimed she too had died. He said his 10-year-old child, whom he had been teaching to box, stopped eating and likely died from maInutrition, and that his 18-year-old later died for the same reason in September. 

Court documents and search warrants unsealed in November also revealed that the father told investigators about another child, a 1-month-old infant named RiIey, who he said died shortly after the family moved into the North Carolina home. According to his statements to detectives, he said that the baby’s health declined and the baby died, after which he wrapped the infant’s body in paper or plastic and buried it in a ruraI area behind the house. Investigators have not yet located the infant’s remains, but the sheriff’s office has continued searching the property and surrounding woods for the unmarked grave.

In the released 911 call, the defendant told the dispatcher that the situation had “spiraled.” He explained, according to the recording, that the deaths began with what he described as “over-discipIining,” and he referenced his actions without detailing specific methods of harm. In that call, he also spoke about his emotional state and expressed guilt, saying, “It’s bad … I’m not even going … It’s my fault.” When asked about weapons, he told the dispatcher he was not armed but indicated he had bIades in the home and offered to come outside. He made comments suggesting that, in his mind, external influences had played a role, although he did not specify details that would clarify a motive.

Investigators said they had not determined a clear motive for the killings. In a press briefing after the bodies were found, Sheriff BizzeII said that the remains had been discovered in the vehicIe over an extended period and that deputies were continuing to review interviews, scene evidence, and other information to understand the timeline and circumstances surrounding each death. Because the victims had been in the vehicIe for so long, the remains required careful handling and analysis by the medical examiner’s office to establish time and cause of death.

As part of the ongoing investigation, detectives also obtained warrants to review the man’s Grlndr account and communications. Prosecutors noted in court documents that messages showed the defendant had contact with multiple men from the location-based dating appIication, and that some of those contacts occurred at the home while the remains were believed to be in the vehicIe. Investigators sought geolocation and media data from the app as part of their efforts to piece together activity in and around the home during the period in which the deaths occurred. According to the North Carolina authorities, the father allegedly entertained multiple men at his home while the bodies of at least some of his children were decomposing in his vehicIe, which was parked in the garage.

Law enforcement also involved the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Child Protective Services to assist with the broader inquiry into family circumstances. The defendant’s surviving 3-year-old chiId was placed in the custody of the state’s Department of Social Services and was evaluated for his welfare. North Carolina authorities declined to release further details about the child’s condition, citing privacy and the active nature of the investigation.