A North Carolina man was charged with murder Tuesday after authorities said he called 911 and reported killing his children.
Investigators who responded to the home of Wellington Dickens III, 38, discovered the bodies of three of his biological children and a stepchild, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office said.
The remains were in the trunk of a car in Dickens' garage in Zebulon, east of Raleigh, the agency said.
Authorities found Dickens' 3-year-old son in his home unharmed.
The sheriff's office identified the deceased as Leah Dickens, 6; Zoe Dickens, 9; Wellington Dickens, 10; and Sean Brasfield, 18.
Dickens, who made a first appearance in court Tuesday in the death of one of his juvenile children, was being held without bond at the Johnston County jail.
The sheriff's office said it is seeking murder charges in connection with the remaining children.
The Johnston County Public Defender's Office, which was appointed to represent Dickens, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The sheriff's office did not identify a possible motive or say how the children died.
Their remains had been there "for a long period of time," according to officials.
Court records for the murder charge filed Tuesday list the offense date as May 1.
