A South Carolina man has been arrested for keeping four people captive in his basement, some allegedly for years.
Police began investigating 35-year-old Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. in August after one of the people he was holding died, WSOC reported.
Birchfield is accused of forcibly confining four individuals, depriving them of basic necessities like food, medical care, and any means to contact the outside world, as outlined in the arrest warrants.
The documents allege that one victim’s death went unreported for a day. They also highlight Birchfield’s abusive behavior towards a girlfriend, whom he allegedly kept imprisoned, frequently choking her while boasting of his ability to conceal a body due to “past experience.”
He’s also accused of stealing money from the victims and using it to pay his credit card bills and shop at Walmart.
On August 1, Birchfield was apprehended and charged with abusing a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, and domestic violence, although these charges weren’t disclosed publicly until recently, according to the Charleston Post & Courier. Fraud and exploitation charges have also been added.
Warrants detail that the deceased woman and her husband, confined in the basement, were “vulnerable adults” under Birchfield’s care. The other two captives were women in romantic relationships with him. One resided there since September 2024, and the other since 2015, according to court records.
The court documents reveal Birchfield exerted complete control over the victims, dictating their meals, restroom access, basement exits, and cell phone usage, all to prevent them from seeking help.
Teresa Henson shared with WRAL that her brother, who was developmentally disabled but initially lived independently, was one of those found in the basement. His wife was the woman who passed away in July.
“He really didn’t say anything, because I think he was still like trauma and in shock,” she said of her visit with her brother in the hospital. “I walked out of the room and just busted out crying, because it was just so heartbreaking.”
Birchfield is being held on a $150,000 bond, and more charges are possible. His attorney told NBC News that he “maintains his innocence.”
