Authorities say a North Carolina man charged with killing four of his children after human remains were found in the trunk of a vehicle believe the slayings occurred over several months.

Leaders of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Department patrol division union said they were never told that a suspect arrested by deputies in August had smuggled a loaded handgun into the county jail.

Sheriff Steve Bizzell said at a news conference Wednesday that Dickens killed three of his biological children, Leah Dickens, 6, in May; Zoe Dickens, 9, in August and Wellington Dickens, 10, in either late August or early September, as well as his stepchild Sean Brassfield, 18, in September.

The official headshot-style photos of L.A. County Sheriff's Department employees could be released to an independent journalist as part of a public records lawsuit under review by a three-judge appellate panel.

"The balance of the harms weighs against granting a stay," Judge Shapirshteyn added, stating that maintaining the board's removal order in place during the court challenge would best serve the public by ensuring continuity. She noted that blocking the appointment "would leave the position vacant, impair operations, and undermine public confidence."

Angelo Jose Saldivar, 47 of San Bernardino, is accused of killing San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputy Andrew Nunez.

Investigators are working to find a custom Range Rover built for Shaquille O'Neal, which went missing this month in Georgia.

The indictments say the charges levied against Towns County Sheriff Kenneth Henderson stem from an investigation in December involving two other officers.