South Carolina man accused of keeping four vulnerable adults captive in his basement charged with murder

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 49-year-old Shirley Arnsdorff, one of the four people allegedly held against her will in his basement.

Police responded to a call on July 25 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 she 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 for himself.

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 put on him or whatever… but I’m just ready for all this to be over with,” Terisa told the outlet.

“I really can’t put into words. For anybody who lives around Lancaster to be aware of your surroundings, to be aware of who your friends are or supposedly your friends 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 sincerest condolences to the victim’s family and hope that we can bring them some peace through justice. We encourage anyone with further information to come forward and assist us in this ongoing investigation.”

Birchfield is accused of keeping the vulnerable married couple and two women with whom he was involved romantically locked in the basement.

Each of the victims was allegedly held against their will and denied access to food, water, medication and the outside world. Birchfield even controlled when the victims ate and used the bathroom, according to WBTV.

He allegedly had “romantic/intimate relationships” with the two of the women, one for a year and the other for nearly 10 years, according to authorities.

Records, obtained by WBTV, showed that one woman reportedly said Birchfield told her he was “going to kill her…” and that he “knows how to get rid of a body from past experience.”

Over the course of three years, beginning in September 2022, Birchfield made dozens of purchases for himself using the debit cards and bank account numbers associated with the victims – even paying off his own credit card debt with their money, police said.

M. Ryan Payne, a lawyer for Birchfield, told WBTV 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 slew of charges in addition to the murder charge. They include:

• Four counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult

• Four counts of false imprisonment

• Two counts of domestic violence high and aggravated nature

• Two counts of abuse of a vulnerable adult

• Two counts of financial transaction card theft

• One count of transaction card fraud

• One count of financial identity fraud