A 35-year-old man is facing several charges after being accused of keeping four adults captive in the basement of his South Carolina home. Authorities only became aware of the situation after one of his victims died.
On Aug. 1, Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, including four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, financial fraud, false imprisonment, and domestic violence, according to the Lancaster County Detention Center.
Concerns about Birchfield Jr.’s behavior began when police discovered an unreported death at his Lancaster home in July, WSOC-TV 9 and Local 12 reported. Investigators found that he had been the sole caregiver for the deceased woman and her husband, but authorities are still unsure how he knew the couple.
Officials examining the woman’s death noted signs of physical abuse and a lack of proper medical care.
Authorities later found other people who appeared to be held against their will at Birchfield Jr.’s home. He allegedly controlled their food, bathroom use, and communication, according to warrants obtained by WSOC-TV.
The deceased couple were adults over 18, but as vulnerable adults, they could not care for themselves, according to Local 12. Two other captives were women who were reportedly romantically involved with Birchfield Jr.
One woman is believed to have been at the house since September 2024, and the other since 2015. Birchfield Jr. allegedly threatened one girlfriend, saying he knew how to dispose of a body from past experience. Warrants obtained by WSOC-TV also state that he routinely strangled her during assaults.
Police say he used his victims’ money for personal expenses, including shopping at Walmart and paying off debts. This year alone, he reportedly spent $11,800 from the vulnerable couple’s bank account to pay credit card loans, according to Local 12.
“That’s a sick individual right there. He’s a sick person to do something like that,” neighbor Darryl Evans told WSOC-TV 9.
Authorities are waiting for a pathologist’s report before pursuing additional charges.
Birchfield is being held without bail at the Lancaster County Detention Center.
The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, Lancaster Police Department, and the Lancaster County Detention Center did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Sept. 22.
