South Carolina man arrested for keeping four vulnerable adults in his basement and using their money, police say
A South Carolina man has been arrested after police say he held four vulnerable adults captive in his basement – including one for at least 10 years – and stole their debit cards to make purchases for himself.
Donnie Birchfield Jr., 36, is accused of keeping a vulnerable married couple and two women with whom he was involved romantically locked in the basement of his home in Lancaster, a city about 50 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina, WBTV reported.
Birchfield was arrested July 25 after police responded to a call that a woman had died in the home. Authorities discovered that the woman, who had died alone a day before, had been neglected and abused.
During their investigation, deputies also discovered that the deceased woman, along with three other victims, had been locked inside Birchfield’s basement. One of them had been held captive for at least 10 years, police said.
Each of the victims was held against their will and denied access to food, water, medication and the outside world. Birchfield even controlled when the victims ate and used the bathroom, according to the report.
Birchfield was the sole caregiver of the man and woman, according to warrants obtained by WBTV.
He allegedly had “romantic/intimate relationships” with the two other women, one for a year and the other for nearly 10 years, according to authorities.
Birchfield allegedly routinely assaulted the victims, controlled what they did and kept them from leaving the basement. The victims also said that Birchfield controlled their phones, according to police.
Records, obtained by WBTV, showed that one woman said Birchfield told her he was “going to kill her…” and that he “knows how to get rid of a body from past experience.”
Over the course of three years, beginning in September 2022, Birchfield made dozens of purchases for himself using the debit cards and bank account numbers associated with the victims – even paying off his own credit card debt with their money, police said.
M. Ryan Payne, a lawyer for Birchfield, told WBTV his office is investigating the matter.
“My client maintains his innocence in the case and it is important to remember that he is presumed innocent of these allegations. We look forward to litigating this case in teh court system where facts, evidence, and the rule of law matter. We will have no further comment at this time,” Payne said.
Birchfield was arrested on August 2 and faces a slew of charges. They include:
- Four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult
- Four counts of false imprisonment
- Two counts of domestic violence high and aggravated nature
- Two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult
- Two counts of financial transaction card theft
- One count of transaction card fraud
- One count of financial identity fraud
Birchfield was placed under a $150,000 bond, and police said more charges were possible as the case remains under investigation.
