LANCASTER COUNTY, SC – Authorities in Lancaster County arrested a 35-year-old man this past August in connection to the individual allegedly holding vulnerable adults captive in his basement, dating back as far as ten years, according to reports.
On August 1st, authorities took Donnie Ray Birchfield into custody under a litany of felony charges, including several counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, abuse of a vulnerable adult, aggravated domestic violence, and false imprisonment.
Local reporting on the matter noted law enforcement first opened their investigation into Birchfield on July 25th after a death reportedly occurred inside of the home that went unreported.
Upon entering the home located off of Churchill Drive in Lancaster, police determined the deceased individual had died one day earlier, with evidence of malnourishment, physical abuse, and lacking medical treatment present.
Throughout the course of the initial investigation, police learned that one other vulnerable adult and two other victims were living inside of the home, all of which were allegedly under Birchfield’s control.
Authorities claim the deceased woman, as well as the three others discovered inside the suspect’s home, were held against their will and confined to the basement of the home, allegedly being deprived of any means of outside communication alongside things like food and restroom access being controlled by Birchfield.
Post and Courier reported that two of the victims recovered from the home “were allegedly in romantic relationships with Birchfield,” one of which had been allegedly held captive in the basement since September of 2024 and the other since 2015.
One of the victims reportedly told investigators that Birchfield would routinely threaten to kill her, saying he made remarks in the past about knowing how to dispose of a body from prior experience.
Outside of the serious allegations of abuse and false imprisonment, Birchfield is also facing several charges related to his alleged financial exploitation of his victims, reportedly using their credit cards and bank accounts to make purchases solely benefiting himself.
Authorities allege that one of the vulnerable adults held captive had nearly $12,000 depleted from their bank account in 2025 alone by the suspect.
Birchfield is currently being held without bond at the Lancaster County Detention Center, where he is reportedly awaiting a pathologist's report which will help determine whether prosecutors will file additional charges regarding the alleged years long abuse.
On August 1st, authorities took Donnie Ray Birchfield into custody under a litany of felony charges, including several counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, abuse of a vulnerable adult, aggravated domestic violence, and false imprisonment.
Local reporting on the matter noted law enforcement first opened their investigation into Birchfield on July 25th after a death reportedly occurred inside of the home that went unreported.
Upon entering the home located off of Churchill Drive in Lancaster, police determined the deceased individual had died one day earlier, with evidence of malnourishment, physical abuse, and lacking medical treatment present.
Throughout the course of the initial investigation, police learned that one other vulnerable adult and two other victims were living inside of the home, all of which were allegedly under Birchfield’s control.
Authorities claim the deceased woman, as well as the three others discovered inside the suspect’s home, were held against their will and confined to the basement of the home, allegedly being deprived of any means of outside communication alongside things like food and restroom access being controlled by Birchfield.
Post and Courier reported that two of the victims recovered from the home “were allegedly in romantic relationships with Birchfield,” one of which had been allegedly held captive in the basement since September of 2024 and the other since 2015.
One of the victims reportedly told investigators that Birchfield would routinely threaten to kill her, saying he made remarks in the past about knowing how to dispose of a body from prior experience.
Outside of the serious allegations of abuse and false imprisonment, Birchfield is also facing several charges related to his alleged financial exploitation of his victims, reportedly using their credit cards and bank accounts to make purchases solely benefiting himself.
Authorities allege that one of the vulnerable adults held captive had nearly $12,000 depleted from their bank account in 2025 alone by the suspect.
Birchfield is currently being held without bond at the Lancaster County Detention Center, where he is reportedly awaiting a pathologist's report which will help determine whether prosecutors will file additional charges regarding the alleged years long abuse.
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Comments
2025-09-24T21:37-0400 | Comment by: James
A good use for the DEATH PENALTY!