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A South Carolina man has been charged with over a dozen offenses after authorities discovered he had kept four adults confined in his basement for years. They were allegedly deprived of food, mistreated, and financially exploited until the abuse was uncovered following one victim’s death.
Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr., 35, faces various charges including four counts of exploiting a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, domestic violence, abuse of a vulnerable adult, and financial crimes, as per records from the Lancaster County Detention Center.
What are the allegations against Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr.?
According to a warrant obtained by The Post and Courier, Birchfield allegedly confined four individuals in the basement of his Lancaster residence. This included a couple under his sole care and two romantic partners. He controlled many aspects of their lives, kept them isolated, detained them against their will, and allegedly deprived them of food.
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 found evidence at Birchfield’s home indicating that the deceased woman had suffered physical abuse and had been starved and denied medical care prior to her death, as per court documents.
The woman and her husband, also held captive, were classified as vulnerable and unable to care for themselves, though Birchfield’s connection to them is uncertain.
Additionally, authorities found two more adults, romantically involved with Birchfield, trapped in the basement. From court records, the victims—one confined since 2015 and the other since 2024—reported enduring regular abuse, unable to seek help as Birchfield controlled their cell phones.
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.
