A South Carolina man previously accused of holding four adults in his basement for years and stealing their money is now accused of murder in connection with the death of one of the women this year.
Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr., 35, faces the additional charge in the killing of Shirley Arnsdorff, 49, after investigators discovered what the Lancaster Police Department described as unspecified “evidence.”
“This is a heartbreaking case that has profoundly impacted our community,” Lancaster Police Chief Don Roper said in a statement last week. “The Lancaster Police Department is dedicated to achieving justice for the victim and her family. We extend our sincerest condolences to the victim’s family and hope that we can bring them some peace through justice.”
Birchfield, who was previously charged with multiple counts of exploitation of a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, abuse of a vulnerable adult, domestic violence and financial crimes, is being held without bond at the Lancaster County Detention Center, jail records show.
His lawyer, Ryan Payne, said in an email Tuesday that Birchfield maintains his innocence and looks “forward to litigating this case in the court system where facts, evidence, and the rule of law matter.”
Relatives of Arnsdorff could not immediately be reached for comment. Messages left for relatives of Birchfield were not immediately returned.
The charges are being prosecuted by the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. A spokesman declined to comment Tuesday.
Authorities found Arnsdorff unresponsive on July 25 at a home in Lancaster, south of Charlotte, North Carolina, the police department said in a news release. Birchfield was arrested Aug. 1.
It is not clear how Arnsdorff died. Warrants in the case allege she died on July 24, but her death was not reported until the following day.
In an interview, Lancaster County Coroner Karla Knight Deese said that Arnsdorff’s manner of death was homicide but that officials are awaiting additional studies before they determine a cause.
The warrants do not identify the alleged victims but say they include two women whom Birchfield had dated and a married couple. Birchfield was the wife’s sole caregiver, according to the documents, which allege she was physically abused and had no way to access help.
Birchfield held the people captive while using “their funds for his own financial gain,” according to the warrants. Authorities accused him of using the money to shop at Walmart and pay his credit card bills.
The warrants say Birchfield denied the alleged victims food and medical treatment, controlled their cellphones and bathroom access and cut them off from the outside world.
