In a shocking case of prolonged abuse, a Connecticut woman is accused of imprisoning her stepson in a locked room for over 20 years, subjecting him to starvation and neglect until he made a desperate escape last month by setting their home on fire, police said.
Authorities say Kimberly Sullivan, 56, kept the man confined to an 8-foot by 9-foot room in their Waterbury residence since he was 11 years old. Denied proper food, water and medical care, he weighed just 68 pounds when he was rescued on Feb. 17, The Western Journal reports.
“I wanted my freedom,” the 32-year-old told emergency responders while being treated for smoke inhalation.
Investigators say he used paper a lighter and hand sanitizer to ignite the blaze in his room, knowing it might be his only chance to get out.
According to the Waterbury Police Department, the man was pulled from school in fourth grade and kept isolated from the outside world. He was only allowed to leave his room to complete household chores or let the dog outside.
Authorities found evidence of extreme neglect. The man said he was given only two small bottles of water per day, saving some to bathe without soap.
He had no access to a bathroom, resorting to makeshift methods to dispose of waste, including using straws leading out a window.
Due to a lack of medical care, his teeth deteriorated, breaking off when he ate. Medical personnel diagnosed him with wasting syndrome—a condition involving severe muscle and weight loss—along with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, according to the Associated Press.
“Detectives determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment,” police said in a statement, according to The Western Journal.
Investigators found a slide lock on the outside of the man’s bedroom door, which they believe was used to imprison him. His room had no heating or air conditioning.
Sullivan denied the allegations, claiming the man was free to move around the house.
“She has denied all of these allegations, extremely strongly and adamantly,” her defense attorney, Jason Spilka, said. “Absolutely shocked, okay? Absolutely appalled by these allegations.”
However, authorities say their findings support the man’s account.
Despite his years of captivity, law enforcement had little interaction with the family. Waterbury police reported only two previous incidents involving the household, both in 2005.
The first was a welfare check after classmates raised concerns when the man was pulled from school. The second occurred when the family filed a harassment complaint against school officials for reporting them to child welfare authorities, according to AP.
Officers who visited the home spoke with the boy at the time and reported no immediate cause for concern, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said.
The Connecticut Department of Children and Families said Thursday they have no records of prior agency involvement with the family but are continuing to investigate. State law mandates that unsubstantiated abuse reports be erased five years after an investigation closes.
Sullivan was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and first-degree reckless endangerment, according to WFSB-TV per The Western Journal.
She was arraigned the same day, and her bond was set at $300,000. She posted bail and was released from custody Thursday.
“I would encourage people not to rush to judgment,” her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, said. “This woman is presumed innocent.”
Sullivan is scheduled to appear in court again on March 26.
The man remains in medical care as he recovers from years of starvation and psychological trauma.
Spagnolo said police officers have been helping him by collecting donations for clothing and basic necessities.
“This case, quite frankly, is something out of a horror movie,” Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don Therkildsen said. “That’s without exaggeration.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
