A South Carolina man accused of holding four vulnerable adults captive in his basement, including one for at least 10 years, has been charged with murder after one of them was found dead.
Donnie Birchfield Jr., 36, has been charged with the murder of Shirley Arnsdorff, 49, one of four people allegedly held against their will in his basement.
Police responded to a call on July 25 reporting that a woman had died at a home on Churchill Drive in the city of Lancaster, about 50 miles south of Charlotte, North Carolina.
Police have not revealed how he died.
At the scene, police discovered Arnsdorff’s body, along with three other adults allegedly being held in the basement. One of them had been held captive for at least 10 years, police said.
Birchfield is also accused of stealing his victims’ debit cards to make purchases on his own.
Arnsdorff’s sister-in-law, who would only be identified by her first name, told WBTV that her brother, Arnsdorff’s husband, was also held captive and had been missing since the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I’m finally glad that more charges are being filed or whatever… but I’m ready for this to be over,” Terisa told the outlet.
“I really can’t put it into words. Let anyone who lives near Lancaster be aware of their surroundings, who their friends are or supposedly are,” Terisa added.
Lancaster Police Chief Don Roper described the case as “heartbreaking” during a news conference last week.
“The Lancaster Police Department is dedicated to achieving justice for the victim and her family,” Roper said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and hope that we can bring them some peace through justice. We encourage anyone who has more information to come forward and assist us in this ongoing investigation.”
Lancaster Police Chief Don Roper described the case as “heartbreaking” during a recent press conference about the case (Lancaster PD)
Birchfield is accused of keeping the vulnerable married couple and two women with whom he was romantically involved locked in the basement.
Each of the victims was allegedly held against their will and denied access to food, water, medicine and the outside world. Birchfield even monitored when the victims ate and used the bathroom, according to WBTV.
He allegedly had “romantic/intimate relationships” with the two women, one for a year and the other for nearly 10 years, according to authorities.
The records, obtained by WBTV, showed that a woman allegedly said Birchfield told her he was “going to kill her…” and that he “knows how to dispose of a body from past experiences.”
Over the course of three years, starting in September 2022, Birchfield made dozens of purchases using the debit cards and bank account numbers associated with the victims, and even paid off his own credit card debt with their money, police said.
M. Ryan Payne, Birchfield’s attorney, told WBTV that his office is investigating the matter.
“My client maintains his innocence in the case and it is important to remember that he is presumed innocent of these allegations. We look forward to litigating this case in the court system where facts, evidence and the rule of law matter. We will have no further comment at this time,” Payne said.
Birchfield was arrested on August 2 and faces a number of charges in addition to the murder charge. They include:
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Four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult
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Four counts of false imprisonment
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Two counts of high and aggravated domestic violence
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Two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult
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Two counts of theft of financial transaction cards
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One count of transaction card fraud
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One count of financial identity fraud