LANCASTER, S.C. — A man in South Carolina has been arrested, accused of keeping four adults captive in his home’s basement and using their money for himself.
WSOC reported that the investigation into Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. started in July after law enforcement was informed about an unattended death at a home in Lancaster, South Carolina.
One of the people in Birchfield’s was said to have died in the basement, but the woman’s death was not reported until the day after her passing.
Court documents said that there were physical signs that she was abused, denied sustenance and denied medical treatment, according to the Post and Courier.
She, along with her husband, was under the care of Birchfield as they were considered vulnerable adults. Two other women with whom Birchfield had romantic relationships were also kept in the home.
One of the women had been there since 2015, the Post and Courier reported.
The four people were only allowed to leave the basement when he allowed them to, according to the newspaper.
He was arrested last month, WSOC reported.
Birchfield was charged with four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, four counts of false imprisonment, two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult, two counts of domestic violence and financial charges, according to the inmate records at the Lancaster County Detention Center.
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