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Sister Reacts as Missing Brother Found Alive After Years Held in Basement
By Thomas Smith, Updated 10:31 AM PDT, Fri September 26, 2025
Originally appeared on https://www.newsbreak.com
The sister of a missing man who was discovered alive in a South Carolina basement after a years-long search described the moment as “heartbreaking.”
“He really didn’t say anything because I think he was still in trauma and shock,” Terisa Hinson, the man’s sister, told WSOC-TV. “I walked out of the room and started crying because it was just so heartbreaking.”
Donnie Ray Birchfield Jr. is accused of keeping several people confined in his basement and using their funds for personal financial gain, according to an incident report obtained by Newsweek.
He now faces 16 charges, including multiple counts of false imprisonment and exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
Birchfield’s attorney, M. Ryan Payne, told WBTV that Birchfield maintains his innocence.
Why It Matters
Hinson told WSOC-TV that her brother was trapped in the home’s basement with his wife, who was found dead, the station reported, citing police warrants.
“I wanna know why. Why them? I mean, of all the people in the world, why them?” Hinson said.
What To Know
Lancaster police responded to an unattended death at a residence on Churchill Drive on July 25.
Warrants obtained by WBTV state that Birchfield was the sole caregiver of a man and a woman. He allegedly denied them access to food, medical care, and communication, and prevented them from leaving the basement.
Birchfield is also accused of using the victims’ debit cards and bank accounts for personal purchases and to pay his own credit card bills since September 2022, according to WBTV.
“It really makes me sick that I couldn’t do anything,” Hinson said.
Hinson described her brother as “feeble” and weighing about 70 pounds (32 kilograms) when she saw him in the hospital. She added that he has a developmental disability and had lived independently before going missing several years ago, WSOC-TV reported.
Reactions
Terisa Hinson told WSOC-TV: “I’m hoping he gets charged to the fullest extent, honestly.”
M. Ryan Payne, Birchfield’s attorney, told WBTV: “My office is currently investigating this matter. My client maintains his innocence in this 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.”
Next Steps
Birchfield has been released on a $150,000 bond. The Lancaster Police Department told Newsweek that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be filed.
