A South Carolina woman, who spent years searching for her missing brother, discovered that he was trapped in a living nightmare.
Terisa Hinson learned from the police that her brother was allegedly held captive along with three other adults in the basement of Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr.’s Lancaster home.
Two of the other victims were women that Donnie dated, and the third was the wife of Terisa’s brother.
Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. was accused of keeping four adults hostage in the basement of his Lancaster home
Image credits: Lancaster County Detention Center
Trigger warning: contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
Donnie is currently facing charges for trapping the “vulnerable adults” in his basement and stealing money from them, officials said. At least one of them was held for 10 years.
“I wanna know why. Why them? I mean, of all the people in the world, why them?” Terisa said after reuniting with her exploited brother.
Image credits: WSOC TV
The harrowing situation came to light after the passing of the brother’s wife.
Police began investigating after responding to a call about an unattended passing at an address on Churchill Drive in July.
The “vulnerable adult” had passed away on July 24, but it was only reported the next day.
Terisa spent years searching for her brother and learned this year that he was one of the victims trapped in the basement.
“It really makes me sick that I couldn’t do nothing,” she told WJCL.
Terisa Hinson spent years searching for her brother and discovered he was one of the basement victims
Image credits: WSOC TV
Reports claimed that Donnie was the son of a pastor who preaches at the Friendship Baptist Church.
The “sick individual” was allegedly using his captive victims’ “funds for his own financial gain.”
Officials said he would physically harm his victims and isolate them from the outside world.
He also denied them food and medical treatment, controlling when they would eat and use the bathroom. Even their cellphones were in his control.
Image credits: WSOC TV
Terisa said her brother had a developmental disability but was still very independent.
She said he had been living alone until he vanished without a trace a few years back.
When the sister finally saw her brother in the hospital, she said he looked emaciated and “feeble.”
Donnie would control when his victims would eat and use the bathroom
Image credits: Donnie Birchfield/Facebook
“He was like 70 pounds from what they said. He looked feeble,” she told the outlet.
The sister said he seemed to be traumatized by the experience.
“He really didn’t say anything because I think he was still in trauma and shock,” she said. “I walked out the room and busted out crying because it was just so heartbreaking.”
Investigators further found that the deceased woman was not only physically harmed but also denied sustenance and medical treatment.
He allegedly kept at least two of their bank cards in his possession and had the account number of one victim.
The suspect is facing a long list of charges for exploiting his victims and may face more
Image credits: Lancaster County Detention Center
Donnie allegedly used the married couple’s credit card, spending at least $2,000 at Walmart since 2021.
He also spent nearly $12,000 from their bank account to pay off his credit cards in the last eight months.
It is unclear how Donnie knew the married couple.
Image credits: Terisa Hinson/Facebook
The basement horror included the exploitation of two women, whom Donnie is believed to have dated.
Officials revealed that the accused man stopped one woman from using her cell phone to contact loved ones.
The other woman was allegedly “physically assaulted numerous times (approximately every day),” court documents said.
Donnie threatened to end the woman’s life and hurt her family, claiming he “knows how to get rid of a body from past experience.”
Terisa said his brother looked emaciated in the hospital and traumatized from the experience
Image credits: WSOC TV
One of the two women had lived in the suspect’s home since 2015, and the other had been with him since September 2024.
It is unclear when the married couple became part of Donnie’s group of hostages, who only left the basement when he allowed it.
“That’s a sick individual right there,” neighbor Darryl Evans told WSOC-TV. “He’s a sick person to do something like that.”
Donnie was arrested on August 1 and faced a list of charges, including four counts of financial fraud, false imprisonment, domestic ab***, and exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
His attorney Michael R. Payne said his client is maintaining his innocence.
Two of the victims found in Donnie’s basement were women whom he dated
Image credits: LOCAL 12
“My client maintains his innocence in this case, and it is important to remember that he is presumed innocent of these allegations,” he told USA TODAY. “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.”
Donnie could eventually face more charges.
“I’m hoping he gets charged to the fullest extent, honestly,” Terisa said.
Image credits: Terisa Hinson/Facebook
Terisa shared a social media post last month with the link to a September 23 episode of Dave and Chuck the Freak LIVE and accused them of making a joke out of her brother and sister-in-law’s experience.
“Who ever Dave and chuck the freak are I really don’t appreciate yall making jokes about what my brother and sister in law went through but y’all are some sick motherf***ers,” she said.
“If you have any questions or concerns just hit me up and I will gladly answer them!!! But for you to make fun of someone that went through a traumatic experience is sick!!! And you shouldn’t be allowed on air period,” she added.
“Can you imagine looking for your brother and his wife … and he was being held prisoner in a basement and starved. Disgusting” one commented online
