Overview

• Police say they discovered four people in a basement while responding to an unattended death at a Churchill Drive home in July, with warrants alleging one victim had been confined since 2015.
• Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. was arrested on Aug. 2 and is charged with exploitation and abuse of a vulnerable adult, false imprisonment, aggravated domestic violence, and financial identity and transaction‑card crimes.
• An incident report reviewed by USA TODAY alleges at least $12,881 was taken from one victim and at least 32 purchases were made for Birchfield’s benefit, with financial fraud dating back to May 2021.
• Warrants state the victims were denied food, medication, and outside contact, had bathroom use controlled, and in one case a woman was choked until she lost consciousness.
• Birchfield remains in custody on a $150,000 bond as his attorney says he maintains his innocence, while a victim’s sister says her brother was found emaciated and traumatized.