Conn. woman accused of holding malnourished stepson captive for 20 years

A Waterbury woman is accused of holding her stepson captive for 20 years and providing little water and little food.

The man, who is now 32, weighed only 68 pounds when he escaped by setting fire to the house, according to officials.

The investigation started last month. The state prosecutor called the case “something out of a horror movie.”

Around 8:42 p.m. on Feb. 17, Waterbury officers and firefighters responded to a fire at a home on Blake Street and firefighters quickly put out the fire.

Kimberly Sullivan, 56, and her stepson were home at the time, according to police.

Sullivan was able to get out. Her stepson remained inside but firefighters got him out and emergency medical services provided care.

The man suffered smoke inhalation and exposure to the fire, resulting in serious injuries, police said.

While he was receiving medical care, the man told first responders that he had intentionally set the fire in his upstairs room, police said, and told them, “I wanted my freedom.”

Then, he told police that Sullivan had held him captive since he was around 11 years old.

That led to an investigation that police said revealed that the victim had been held in captivity for more than 20 years, “enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment.”

He had received minimal amounts of food and water and was severely emaciated.

The man, who is 5-foot-9, weighed 68 pounds when he was found and he told police he was hungry every day of his life, according to prosecutors.

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He had not received medical or dental care during this time, police said.

Police obtained a warrant on Tuesday for Sullivan and she was taken into custody on Wednesday.

Sullivan was charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.

According to prosecutors, Sullivan is accused of keeping her stepson locked in an 8-foot-by-9-foot room with no heat or air conditioning since he was in the fourth grade.

The warrant says there was a slide bolt lock on the outside of the door frame, and it was used to lock the door from the outside.

The state prosecutor said the man set the fire using hand sanitizer he recovered and some paper from a printer.

The man told police he remembers being locked in his bedroom starting around the age of 3. He recalled being hungry, which led him to sneak out of his room at night to get food and fluids to drink, the warrant states.

When the wrappings to the food he ate were eventually discovered, he was locked in his room, the warrant states. The man also said he would drink from the toilet because he wasn't getting enough water.

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) was contacted by the boy's school when he was in fourth grade and responded to the home twice. NBC Connecticut reached out to DCF who say they're unable to provide any details due to confidentiality laws.

School officials noted that the boy was always hungry, and his stepmom told him to lie and say everything was fine, according to the warrant.

The boy told authorities that he was let outside his room every morning around 8 a.m. to do chores, lasting anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours. He was then forced to go back into his room, officials said.

Sullivan’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, said his client is innocent and denies allegations.

“She completely maintains her innocence, from our perspective. These allegations are not true. They are outlandish. She was blown away when she heard these allegations,” Kaloidis said. “We look forward to being able to vindicate her and show that she’s done nothing wrong.”

Kaloidis said his client never locked her stepson in a room.

“That is absolutely not true. He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in any way. She provided food, she provided shelter. She is blown away by these allegations. It is shocking and what's more shocking to me? It's how somebody can (be) falsely accused of such a thing," Kaloidis said.

He said Sullivan’s husband dictated how his son would be raised. Kaloidis said the husband has since passed away.

Police said the victim’s biological father died in January 2024 and, prior to his death, he was in a wheelchair because of medical conditions.  

“We think as the evidence comes out, you'll see that she's not the villain she's being made out to be, absolutely not," Kaloidis said.

"The allegations seem to be based on the words of one individual and one individual alone. I did not see anything in the warrant to indicate any independent evidence to corroborate these allegations. We'll see how they stand up at trial," he added.

Police have not released the stepson's identity.

Bond for Sullivan was set at $300,000 and her next court date is March 26.