A pastor’s son kept four people including a married couple in his basement for years and was only exposed after the wife died, authorities said.
Donnie Ray Birchfield, Jr., 35, faces 16 charges in total, including false imprisonment, abuse of a vulnerable adult and domestic violence, per the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office.
Birchfield would physically abuse the victims, determine when they would use the bathroom, ‘control’ their cellphones and steal their money, police alleged.
An investigation into the 35-year-old started on July 25 when a woman died at his Churchill Drive home in Lancaster, about 50 miles from the Charlotte metropolitan area.
The 3,751-square-foot home was built in 1996 and was last sold for $200,000 in 2022.
Police were called to respond to an ‘unattended death’ and, according to court documents, found evidence that the woman had been physically abused.
She was also allegedly denied food and medical care. Law enforcement authorities determined that the woman had died one day earlier, according to police warrants.
The other occupants of the basement were her husband and two women who were romantically involved with Birchfield, according to the police.
Donnie Ray Birchfield is accused of keeping four people – including a married couple – in his basement for years
Donnie Ray Birchfield, Jr., 35, faces 16 charges in total
The woman who died and her husband were vulnerable adults, warrants said.
Birchfield was allegedly their sole caregiver, but it is unknown how he knew the couple.
Donnie Birchfield, his father, is a pastor at the Friendship Baptist Church in Lancaster.
In their investigation, police discovered that the woman and three others were being held captive in Birchfield’s basement, records cited by The Post and Courier said.
The other two women were allegedly in romantic relationships with Birchfield, per court documents.
One had allegedly lived with him since September 2024, and the other had been at his Lancaster residence since 2015.
Birchfield allegedly only allowed his captives to leave the basement when he desired, per the warrants.
Court records showed Birchfield’s home address as 425 Churchill Drive
Birchfield was arrested on August 1 and booked into jail the following day
He is currently being held without bail at the Lancaster County Detention Center
‘That’s a sick individual right there,’ neighbor Darryl Evans told WSOC-TV.
‘He’s a sick person to do something like that.’
The South Carolina man is also accused of financial crimes.
Police claim that he paid off multiple credit cards using more than $11,800 from the couple’s bank account.
He also allegedly used credit and debit cards to pay for at least $2,000 in Walmart purchases.
Birchfield’s full charges are four counts of false imprisonment, four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult, two counts of domestic violence, and four counts of financial fraud.
He was arrested on August 1 – and booked on August 2 at 2.38am, Lancaster County records showed.
Birchfield is being held without bail at the Lancaster County Detention Center. Police are still investigating.
