Suspect held four adults captive in South Carolina basement for more than a decade, authorities say

A 35-year-old man is accused of imprisoning four adults in the basement of his Lancaster, South Carolina home for more than 10 years, abusing them and siphoning their money, authorities said.

The victims included a vulnerable married couple and two women Birchfield was in relationships with, according to search warrants and charging documents. Investigators allege that Birchfield beat the captives, cut them off from the outside world, and controlled when they ate and used the bathroom. He also allegedly stole thousands of dollars from them, including at least $2,000 charged to the couple’s credit card at Walmart since 2021 and nearly $12,000 withdrawn from their bank accounts in the past eight months to pay off his own credit cards.

Two other adults were living in the home with Birchfield, and the four captives were said to have left the basement only when Birchfield allowed it. The cases came to light after one member of the captives, the married woman, died on July 25; she had reportedly been dead for about a day and had suffered physical abuse and lack of medical care, according to investigators. Police later found the couple’s surviving spouse and the other two women in custody.

Birchfield was arrested on Aug. 1 and charged with abuse of a vulnerable adult, four counts of false imprisonment and domestic violence. Prosecutors later added fraud and exploitation charges related to the alleged theft of the captives’ money. Authorities are awaiting a pathologist’s report before pursuing additional charges, according to local reports.

Neighbors described the case as shocking. “That’s a sick individual right there,” one neighbor told WSOC-TV. “He’s a sick person to do something like that.” Police have not identified the victims publicly, citing the ongoing investigation.

The victims’ relationships with Birchfield appear to have varied. Court documents indicate one woman had lived with him since September 2024, while another had been in the home since 2015. It remains unclear how long the vulnerable couple had been living there prior to their confinement.

Authorities say the captives were able to leave the basement only at Birchfield’s discretion, and they relied on him for basic needs and medical care. In addition to the physical abuse alleged in warrants, investigators said Birchfield took steps to isolate the group from friends and relatives, effectively cutting off contact with the outside world.

One of Birchfield’s girlfriends reportedly told charging investigators that he had threatened to kill her and hurt her family, and she recounted that he told her he knew how to dispose of a body from past experiences. Birchfield remains in custody at the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, with bond set at $150,000.

The case has raised questions about the oversight of vulnerable adults and the circumstances that allowed the confinement to continue for so long. Officials emphasized that investigations are continuing and more charges could be filed depending on the pathology results and additional findings.