THE CASE OF WELLINGTON DICKENS
Wellington Dickens, a North Carolina man, has recently confessed to killing four of his children over a period of several months.
In October 2025, Wellington made a 7 minute 911 call.
Operator
“Ok, sir, what’s your name?”
Dickens
“Wellington Dickens.”
Operator
“And a good phone number?”
Dickens
“What, ma’am?”
Operator
“A good telephone number, please?’”
Dickens
*censored*
Operator
“Ok, sir. What’s going on?”
Dickens
“I killed my children. It’s a lot to explain, but in a nutshell, it’s all my fault. I’m not even gone. It’s my fault. It’s bad. I didn’t like, hurt them, like on some like, when I say just killed, like, I didn’t like, use knives or nothing to cut nobody or shoot nobody, and then I just started out as me over disciplining, that’s it, and leaving them out to eat… (inaudible). A lot of stuff.”
Operator
“Okay, and sir, how did you do it?”
Dickens
“Beat on them. Sometimes they didn’t want to eat. I didn’t force them to eat. I told them that it was a punishment not to eat. I did a bunch of different little things. Thought I was trying to — it’s a lot of things, and I’m trying to just do the right thing. Because…”
“I left something — I tried to call a lawyer earlier, but I could have maybe called a lot more lawyers. I just didn’t want — I should have just started calling all of them and just trying to, like, trying to basically turn — I was basically trying to turn myself in without it being extra. But like I said, y’all want to be want to do extra? That’s why I didn’t know your procedures. And I’m not trying to tell you what not to do.”
Dickens says he “accidentally” caused the first death (6-year-old Leah), who investigators believed was killed in May by hitting her “excessively.”
Operator
“How old were the children?”
Dickens
“Well, the oldest is my stepson, he’s 18. The other one is 10…then I have a 9-year-old daughter, and I got a 5-year-old daughter. I have a son here now on my bed. I’m not even gonna try to make it look…” (inaudible)
Operator
“Ok, sir, who is with you now?”
Dickens
“Just me and my son.”
Operator
“Okay, and do you have any weapons on you?”
Dickens
“No weapons on me. I do not have knives here, but not on me. Like I said, if you want me to, I’ll come outside in my underwear. I don’t know what ya’ll need me to be — I’m willing to do whatever you need me to do. I never had this in my life…” (inaudible).
Operator
“Have you been drinking or doing any drugs?”
Dickens
“I did smoke and I had like a sip of champagne.”
Operator
“You said your name was Wellington, correct?”
Dickens
“Yes, ma’am.”
Operator
“Okay. Now, what made you want to do this?”
Dickens
“It was really not it wasn’t up to me, like I had God just influenced me, like, that’s it. It wasn’t me because I got nervous and I didn’t do it when I was supposed to, and I was being a coward, and I just was letting, trying to let my children — you know what I’m saying? When that was me, I was supposed to make those decisions, and it just spiraled. It just got worse and worse and worse, and I just can’t take it no more. I never did this before. This stuff is crazy… I got my son.”
Operator
“Okay, sir, there’s a deputy outside.”
Dickens
“They outside right now?”
Operator
“Yes, we have a deputy outside…Okay, sir, go speak with the deputy. I’m going to disconnect now.”
After deputies arrived at the home, they smelled an odor that was ‘obvious of decay.’ Sheriff’s Captain Don Pate said the house was not well kept and there was evidence that someone had attempted to clean up a crime scene.
Wellington gave more details about the murders. He said he killed Leah Dickens (5) in May 2025. He said he had disciplined her and later found her dead when he went to check on her.
Zoe Dickens (9) was killed in August 2025. Wellington said that Zoe began to make comments about Leah’s death so he taped her mouth shut. He said when he next went to check on her, she was dead.
The next child to die was Wellington Dickens Jr (10). Authorities believe he passed in August or early September and that he died from malnutrition.
The final child to die was Wellington’s stepson, Sean Brasfield (18). Sean was blind in one eye and had cerebral palsy. It is believed that Sean passed in September 2025. He also died from malnutrition.
Sean’s biological father spoke to The News and Observer about discovering his son’s death and said “I was in total shock. He was a great kid.”
Sean’s mother Stephanie had divorced his father many years ago. “She was a very good woman,” he said. After Sean’s mother started dating Wellington, the new family cut off Sean’s father and other family members, not letting the father see or speak with Sean, the father said. They stopped seeking services for Sean, said the father, whose health insurance had paid for Sean’s therapy. Wellington and Stephanie married in August 2015, according to family members’ social media posts.
Stephanie died on April 21, 2024. She was about three months pregnant and died from complications of a miscarriage. She had been bleeding the night before, but didn’t seek medical care, the sheriff said.
Stephanie’s obituary lists her children:
Stephanie is survived by her husband, Wellington Delano Dickens, III, whom she married in August of 2015; her five beautiful children, Sean, Wellington (DJ), Zoe, Leah and Jonah; her mother, Angela Meashey and step-father Kenneth Meashey; father, Ernest Ray Jones; brother, Warren Bethea Jones; mother-in-law, Sheila Dickens; Grand mother-in-law, Carrie Williams; brothers-in-law, Jeremy Dickens and Isaiah Dickens and numerous other loving family members and friends.
Police discovered the remains of the children in a bag in the trunk of a vehicle that was parked in the home’s garage.
Five warrants were issued which allowed deputies to search Wellington’s home at 101 Springtooth Drive.
They sought clothing, weapons, blood, human remains and other evidence, the warrants state. They also sought to search the backyard, a neighboring property, two of Wellington’s social media accounts and his Amazon account history, the warrants state. Some of the items deputies collected included an urn with Stephanie Dickens’ ashes, photographs, paperwork, and a vehicle.
Wellington would also later tell deputies that he and Stephanie had a fifth child that had died. Wellington said he buried one-month-old Riley in the woods behind his house, wrapped in paper or plastic material, the warrant states. Riley’s death was never reported to medical or law enforcement officials, the warrants say. And family members said they never saw Riley after the baby was born.
Police searched the backyard of the home and a neighboring property, but did not find the baby’s remains.
Peggy Inserra’s backyard butts up against the woods where Wellington said he buried the infant.
“It’s horrible. It’s very sad and very upsetting and very distressing that the view from my house is looking into woods where he supposedly buried that child,” she told ABC11. “Anybody can be somebody we don’t think they are.”
She said she got up recently and saw cadaver dogs in the woods.
“Yeah, that makes sense because it’s probably about two years ago. So I mean, it’s not like he snapped one day. This is something that progressively went on,” she said.
Investigators noted a ‘hasty paint job’ in the home – they said there was fresh paint on the walls and baseboards. They also found a recently used roller and paint tray in the garage.
“With the information that is known with how the children were killed, this is considered to be unusual,” one of the search warrants states, without going into more detail.
Wellington placed an order on Amazon on Sept. 3, for white “Zinnser Covers Up Stain Sealing Paint,” the warrants state.
Sheriff Captain Pate said he believed the family was “very secluded” and that extended family were not allowed to visit the children.
“They just stayed inside,” according to Captain Pate. “The neighbors said they never saw them come outside, and they were homeschooled, so they were just confined to the house.”
After the murders, more information about Wellington’s criminal history was released. He had no arrests for violent offenses in his criminal history. He had a 2015 misdemeanor child abuse charge that was dismissed and a 2016 resisting a public officer charge.
He’s been charged five times with speeding and driving with a revoked license and was arrested or cited more than a dozen times from 2014 to 2017, according to public records.
It was also revealed that when Zoe was born in 2016, doctors were convinced she had jaundice. Wellington refused medical care for the baby due to ‘religious and spiritual beliefs.’
After a failed attempt by Wake County Child Welfare workers in 2016 to check on Zoe at the Dickenses’ home, they returned with two Raleigh police officers. He didn’t allow them into the home. The altercation led to Wellington’s arrest on Oct. 31, 2016 on a charge of contempt, according to court records. He was released from jail after his wife took Zoe to a county health clinic, according to his complaint.
Wellington has been charged with four counts of murder. He has been transferred out of Johnston County Jail to Central Prison in Raleigh for his safety.
THE DEAN FIELD CASE
Dean Field allegedly killed his three children August (7), Hugo (5), and Goldie Field (1) before taking his own life on Saturday November 15, 2025.
Dean and his wife Chelsey operated a transport business called Aster Transport and Mechanical Services. Dean set up the company in 2018. According to his online bio, he had experience as a heavy diesel mechanic and had spent six years as workshop foreman at a “major truck workshop” in Palmerston North where he oversaw a team of ten mechanics.
Neighbors have spoken about the family and said that they would often see the children riding their bikes and scooters at their home in Sanson, New Zealand.
This is a very small country town – the population of the rural settlement of Sanson, New Zealand, was estimated to be 680 as of June 2025.
Neighbor Alan Parker said “Things seemed to be going well for them. They spent a heap of money renovating, he’s been painting for the last six months.”
“We saw the kids,” a local store owner said. “The eldest boy came in and he was so kind. I would give him a lolly and he would ask for two for his brother and sister. It’s so very sad.”
At around 2.30pm on November 15, authorities were called to a house fire in Sanson. A member of the public had spotted flames coming from a home as they were driving past.
The witness said he saw two police officers with “big guns” running towards the house.
The police officers were dressed in black with masks on.
After the fire was extinguished, police discovered bodies of two of the children on Sunday November 16. It is believed that Dean’s body was also found around that time.
Manawatu area commander Inspector Ross Grantham said family were present to bless the two children’s bodies with karakia when they were removed from the scene on Sunday evening.
He said police were completing a “meticulous and “thorough” scene examination at the property.
“This tragedy has shocked not only the local community, but also many people across the country,” he said.
“Our investigators remain determined to find answers to as many questions as we can.”
News agency ‘Stuff’ reported that it was believed police were investigating whether the fire was deliberately lit. They’ve said they’re not seeking anyone else in relation to it.
According to that report, Dean and the mother of the children, Chelsey, had been in the process of a separation.
One of our Instagram followers is local to the town and we were sent this message:
“She told him she was leaving and taking the kids. He sent her into town and shot the kids and himself as the house was burning down.
A fundraiser for Chelsey has raised over $300k.
We are reaching out with heavy hearts to support our cherished friend Chelsey, who is enduring a devastating loss beyond measure.
Our dear friend has suffered the sudden, unbearable loss of her three beloved children, her angels: August, Hugo, and Goldie. They were the light and love of her life, and her entire world has been shattered.
In the midst of this unimaginable grief, she also lost her home and everything she owned. She is facing the hardest journey possible, stripped of her physical security while navigating the deepest emotional pain.
Giving the Gift of Solitude and Safety-
We are unsure of the entitlement to claim insurance at this time.
We are coming together to create a safety net for her. Our goal is to provide her with the space and security needed to grieve in solitude, without the added stress of financial ruin.
We cannot mend her broken heart, but we can wrap her in community support. Please join us in offering this gift of peace and practical help during her darkest time.
Dean’s family have spoken to the media about their shock. His brother Mark said “From our point of view, until he was 36 years old he had been nothing but a loving father… he was just a broken man.”
The mother of the children, Chelsey, has released a heartbreaking statement:
August, Hugo and Goldie were taken from me and all those who love them in the most horrible of circumstances, but I do not want their deaths to define the important, beautiful lives that they lived.
My babies were my absolute world. I have been a stay-at-home Mum since I had Hugo in 2020. Before that, I was an early childhood teacher and August came to work with me every day, and I am so glad I got this time with my darlings. I enjoyed so much quality time with them; trips to gymnastics, music groups, playgroups and play dates with friends. We had so much fun together and many holidays away. I will forever cherish all these special memories.
Not only did I lose my children and my home that day, but I also lost our beloved miniature schnauzer, Marlo, who would have been six this Christmas. She was the children’s best friend, and one of Goldie’s first words was dog.
I also had a stillborn daughter, Iris, who would have been nine this year. I have lost her ashes, photos and all her special keepsakes. I know my darlings will be reunited with their big sister.
This incident has left me heartbroken and devastated. My children did not deserve this.
I would like to acknowledge the first responders who responded to the incident and have helped me since. Their support has been so appreciated.
Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the many thousands of people around New Zealand who have been so generous during this difficult time. I have felt the aroha of those around me, in my community and around the country. This support has given me the strength to carry on in honour of the short lives my children lived and the impressions they left on so many people’s hearts
August would have turned eight next Thursday and was looking forward to his birthday party at Timezone with five of his best friends. He was such a happy, kind and outgoing boy. He loved sport, especially football, he was a massive Messi fan. I had been planning on taking him to a Wellington Phoenix game soon. He loved going to the stock cars, fishing at the beach and playing with his best friend Levi. August was a fantastic big brother and he loved his siblings, especially his baby sister. He liked to get her out of bed in the morning, he would make her bottles and feed her. He loved his brother Hugo and they were always glued at the hip, either wrestling or playing outside making huts, digging in the sandpit or playing on the trampoline.
Hugo was such a Mama’s boy. He was so kind, thoughtful and considerate, he would always come and tell me “Mum I got Goldie’s nappy and wipes ready for you, Mum I put your bag by the car for you”. He loved dinosaurs and Hot Wheels. He started school at the beginning of Term 2 and was taking it in his stride. He had begun to read so confidently, he was learning to count so proudly and he loved writing stories. Hugo loved going to the beach fishing also and riding his motorbike. He had just enjoyed his first pet day at school where he took his lamb Nigel and he won an award for care and attention. He loved his little sister Goldie too and was such a doting big brother.
Goldie was my special little girl I had waited so long for. I am so glad I never spent a day or night away from her in her short life. She had just gotten her top two teeth and was pulling herself up to standing and attempting to coast around furniture. Her first words were ‘Hi’ and ‘dog’, she even said ‘Marlo’ the dog’s name before she said Mum. She loved going to music group every Tuesday, she enjoyed the drums and dancing to music. She was the happiest little girl and such a cruisy baby. She loved to have big snuggly cuddles and her brothers were the best things in the world to her. She followed them around the house getting into their Lego and toys. She loved going into the boy’s school every morning and afternoon and she had a massive fan club with the younger girls there.
Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham has provided the most recent update in the case.
“The scene examination at the property has been completed and this was handed back to family on Thursday morning,” he said.
“Police’s investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing and it will take time for us to get answers for the family,” he said.
“We would like to acknowledge the community for their outpouring of support for the family, as they come to terms with this tragedy.
“I would also like to thank the many police staff who have worked tirelessly over the last week and continue to work on this difficult investigation.”
THE RYAN EAGON CASE
This case happened in Tiffin, Ohio on November 19, 2025. Police released this statement:
**UPDATED PRESS RELEASE**
Homicide–Suicide Investigation Update (Huss Street)
November 20, 2025
On November 19, 2025, at approximately 6:24 PM, officers of the Tiffin Police Department were dispatched to the 100 block of Huss Street for a report of shots fired and screaming. Upon arrival, officers located multiple individuals suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
The investigation determined that the incident occurred during an effort by the mother of two children to remove belongings from the residence following ongoing domestic issues in the home. Arrangements had been made with Dustin Willey (age 29), the father of her oldest child, to assist her in moving out while her husband, Ryan Eagon (age 42), was believed to be working out of town.
Evidence indicates that the mother and Dustin were inside the residence gathering remaining items while the children, ages 7 years and 7 months, were outside near a vehicle. After hearing the 7-year-old cry out, they went to check on him and observed Ryan Eagon in the driveway.
According to witness statements and physical evidence, Ryan immediately chased Dustin, pushing past the mother and firing multiple shots. Ryan then turned the gun on the children, fatally shooting both before directing additional gunfire at Dustin. Ryan Eagon subsequently took his own life with a single gunshot wound.
The mother reported that she carried the injured children back inside the home prior to law enforcement’s arrival. Law enforcement and Tiffin Fire and Rescue rendered aid at the scene and transported Dustin Willey to Tiffin Mercy Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The 7-month-old infant and Ryan Eagon were pronounced deceased at the residence, while the 7-year-old child was transported to the hospital and later passed away from his injuries.
No officers discharged their firearms, and no law enforcement personnel were injured.
The mother of the children was present during the incident and was the individual who reported the emergency. In accordance with Marsy’s Law and its protections for crime victims, the Tiffin Police Department will not be releasing her name or any additional identifying information. We ask all media outlets and members of the public to respect her privacy during this unthinkably difficult time.
This incident remains an active investigation by the Tiffin Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the Seneca County Coroner’s Office. Autopsies are pending.
The Tiffin Police Department recognizes the profound emotional impact this tragedy has had on the families involved, first responders, medical staff, schools, and the broader community. Resources for grief support and counseling are being coordinated for anyone affected.
Further updates will be released as appropriate. At this time, no additional identifying information regarding the minor children will be provided.
Chief David Pauly
SOURCE LIST
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article312963095.html
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article312722669.html
https://www.hudsonfuneralhome.com/obituaries/stephanie-jones-dickens
https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article312723432.html
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