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A South Carolina man is facing more than a dozen charges after authorities say he kept four adults imprisoned in his basement for years, denying them food, abusing them and stealing their money, until the alleged abuse came to light when one of them died.
Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr., 35, has been charged with multiple crimes including four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, domestic violence, abuse of a vulnerable adult and a series of financial crimes, according to records from the Lancaster County Detention Center.
What are the allegations against Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr.?
Police alleged that Birchfield kept four individuals locked in the basement of his Lancaster home—including a couple he was the sole caregiver of and two romantic partners—controlling nearly every aspect of their lives, while isolating them from others, keeping them against their will and denying them food, according to a warrant obtained by The Post and Courier.
The alleged abuse came to light after Lancaster Police were called to the home on July 25 for an “unattended death” that occurred one day earlier.
Police arrived at Birchfield’s home to find evidence that the woman who died had been physically abused and denied both food and medical treatment before her death, according to the court records.
Authorities classified the woman and her husband, who was also being held, as vulnerable adults who were unable to care for themselves. It’s unclear how Birchfield was connected to the couple.
Police also discovered two other adults, both of whom were in a romantic relationship with Birchfield, being held in the basement against their will. The victims—one of whom who had been living there since 2015 and the other since 2024— allegedly told police they were subjected to regular abuse and were unable to call for help because Birchfield kept their cell phones, according to the court records.
One woman reported that Birchfield allegedly threatened to kill her, strangled her during assaults and told her he knew how to make a body disappear because of past experience, authorities said in the warrant also obtained by WSOC-TV. She told police that she feared for her life.
Police said Birchfield also controlled when his victims used the bathroom or ate.
In addition to the alleged abuse, police said Birchfield stole thousands of dollars from his victims. According to the warrant, Birchfield made at least $2,000 in purchases at Walmart since 2021, using the couple’s credit and debit cards to make multiple purchases. Authorities said he also siphoned off another $11,800 from his victims to pay off credit card debt.
Birchfield is currently being held at the Lancaster County Detention Center without bond, according to jail records.
