‘Sick person’: Man charged for keeping four people captive in basement

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — A Lancaster County man is accused of holding at least four people captive in his basement, where one victim died.

Police started investigating after they were notified of an unattended death at a home in Lancaster back in July.

35-year-old Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. was allegedly keeping the four people in the basement and using their money for his gain.

Birchfield is facing charges of false imprisonment and neglect of a vulnerable adult, and other charges. Warrants obtained by Channel 9 said that Birchfield kept the individuals against their will, denying them food, medical treatment, and communication.

“That’s a sick individual right there. He’s a sick person to do something like that,” said neighbor Darryl Evans.

Birchfield is also facing several financial charges. According to police, he allegedly stole money from his victims to shop at Walmart and pay his credit card bills.

One of the victims, a woman, reportedly died in the basement, and her death was not reported until the following day. A warrant said that Birchfield denied a male victim access to sustenance and medical needs and would not allow him to leave.

The investigation also revealed that Birchfield allegedly kept his girlfriend captive and routinely strangled her during assaults, making her fear for her life. He told her that he knows how to dispose of a body from past experience, a warrant said.

The Attorney General’s office is prosecuting the case, and Birchfield remains in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office under a $150,000 bond. Authorities are awaiting a pathologist report before pursuing more charges.

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