WATERBURY, Connecticut — A Waterbury woman has been charged with holding her stepson captive for more than 20 years, subjecting him to starvation, neglect, and inhumane treatment, authorities say. Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested after investigators discovered her 32-year-old stepson severely emaciated and desperate for freedom—a revelation that came to light only after he set a fire inside their Blake Street home in a last-ditch escape attempt.
A fire, a confession, and a shocking discovery
On the night of February 17, firefighters responded to a blaze at the Waterbury home Sullivan owned. Inside, they found two occupants—Sullivan and a man who was later identified as her stepson. While Sullivan was escorted out safely, her stepson was found suffering from smoke inhalation and extreme malnutrition.
It wasn’t until medical personnel began treating him that the full horror of the situation emerged. The man admitted to starting the fire himself, telling authorities: “I wanted my freedom.” He then alleged that he had been kept in captivity since he was 11 years old.
Two decades of neglect and abuse
Investigators say the man’s condition was dire—he weighed just 68 pounds, with visible signs of prolonged malnourishment. Authorities believe he had not received medical or dental care for the entirety of his captivity.
His testimony painted a bleak picture: rationed food and water to the point of starvation, forced isolation, and inhumane conditions. In moments of extreme thirst, he resorted to drinking from the toilet. His “room” was described as a cramped, unheated space, barely 8-by-9 feet, where he had no proper sanitation and was forced to use improvised waste disposal methods.
Red flags ignored for years
Records indicate that concerns about the victim’s welfare date back to his childhood. Former teachers recalled him stealing food, eating from the trash, and showing clear signs of neglect. At least 20 reports were filed with child services, yet no meaningful intervention was ever made.
At around age 11, he was pulled from school, and from that point forward, he seemingly disappeared from public view.
Charges and legal proceedings
Sullivan was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment. She was arraigned on March 12, with bond set at $300,000.
Through her attorney, Sullivan denies the allegations, calling them “outlandish” and insisting on her innocence.
A case that shocked the community
Neighbors expressed shock, with many admitting they had rarely seen Sullivan’s stepson outside the home. Some described the house as eerie, but none suspected the horror that had been unfolding inside for more than two decades.
Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo condemned the abuse, calling the victim’s suffering “heartbreaking and unimaginable.” He praised the investigators and state prosecutors who worked relentlessly to uncover the truth and ensure Sullivan faces justice.
With the case still unfolding, authorities are now scrutinizing how this level of neglect and abuse was able to persist for so long without intervention. Who failed him? That’s the question lingering over this case as investigators dig deeper into the systemic failures that allowed a child to disappear into a house of horrors for 20 years.