A 56-year-old woman, Kimberly Sullivan, has been arrested and charged with holding her stepson captive for 20 years.
Sullivan was arraigned on March 12, facing multiple disturbing charges, including assault and kidnapping. Her 32-year-old stepson, who has not been named, set fire to a small upstairs bedroom in their Waterbury home on February 17. When emergency responders arrived to extinguish the blaze, they found the emaciated man, who weighed just 68 pounds. Prosecutors described him as resembling a “survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp” when he was rescued. While being treated for smoke inhalation, the victim told rescue crews he had intentionally started the fire in an attempt to escape.
“I wanted my freedom,” the man allegedly told police.
The victim claimed he had been held captive since he was about 11 years old, confined to an 8-foot-by-9-foot room with no heating or air conditioning. A thorough investigation has led authorities to believe he had endured over 20 years of captivity, abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment. During this time, he had received no medical or dental care.
Waterbury Chief Fernando Spagnolo expressed his heartbreak over the situation, saying, “The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable. This case required relentless investigative effort, and I commend the dedication of our officers and the Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office. Their unwavering commitment ensured that justice is served, and the perpetrator is held fully accountable for these horrific crimes.”
Sullivan is being held on a $300,000 bond after her arraignment. Her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, stated that Sullivan intends to vigorously defend the charges. “She’s adamant she did not do what she’s accused of,” Kaloidis said.
Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don Therkildsen described the case as “quite frankly, something out of a horror movie,” adding, “That’s without exaggeration.”
According to reports, the victim used hand sanitizer and paper to start the fire. Prosecutors told the court that he knew he could die from the blaze, but he had been locked in the room for 20 years and had desperately tried to escape. “He was… akin to a survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp,” prosecutors said.
A warrant for Sullivan’s arrest revealed that the victim’s living conditions worsened after his father passed away last year. He told authorities he was given only two cups of water a day and was sometimes forced to drink from the toilet.
Tom Pannone, the victim’s former elementary school principal, shared his heartbreak with NBC, saying, “The tragedy of the whole thing is that school authorities alerted police when the boy stopped attending classes. We knew it. We reported it. Not a damn thing was done.” He and his staff had noticed the boy’s thin appearance and when questioned, he told teachers he wasn’t allowed food at home. “Everyone really was concerned with this child since he was five years old. You knew something was wrong. It was grossly wrong,” Pannone added.
