Kimberly Sullivan: StepMother Faces Serious Charges After 32-Year-Old Man is Found Locked Up for Nearly 20 Years

When firefighters in Waterbury, Connecticut, arrived at a burning home on February 17, 2025, they discovered more than just flames. 

They found a 32-year-old man who had been held captive, abused, and starved for nearly 20 years, according to CNN. 

What started as a routine call quickly turned into one of the most disturbing criminal cases in Connecticut 

Let's get into the details

A Life of Isolation

According to police reports, the man’s suffering started when he was just a child. 

By the time he was in fourth grade, he had already started taking food from the garbage and stealing from others because he was so hungry. 

When his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, found out, she started locking him in his room as punishment. 

What began as occasional imprisonment soon became his everyday reality. 

By the age of 12, he was taken out of school entirely, cutting off his last connection to the outside world.  

From then on, his life was spent mostly in a small, locked room.

He was only allowed outside for short periods—15 minutes to a couple of hours a day—to do the house chores.

The rest of the time, he was trapped inside, with no sunlight, fresh air, or anyone to talk to.

The conditions inside the room were unimaginable. 

He had to use a bottle whenever he wanted to urinate or take a poo.

He also created a way to get rid of the waste using straws and a hole in the window frame.

He didn’t dare open the window itself as he was scared his stepmother would punish him even more.

“He was locked in 22 to 24 hours a day,” Waterbury Police Chief Fred Spagnolo said during a press conference. 

“He lived in constant fear of being punished further—whether by having his food restricted even more or being locked in his room for longer periods.”  

Kimberly Sullivan

His only connection to the outside world was a radio placed outside his bedroom. 

Through it, he kept track of time, followed the news, and even became a fan of NASCAR and University of Connecticut basketball. 

With no formal education after fourth grade, he taught himself using a dictionary and the few books he was given each year.

As he grew older, the locks on his door became stronger. 

“It seemed like the locks got more secure as he got older,” Spagnolo said. 

“They didn’t want to take any chances.”

After his father, who was in a wheelchair, passed away in January 2024, things got even worse for him.

With his father gone, the man was barely allowed out of his room at all. 

He was only let out for one minute a day—just long enough to let the family dog outside.

For nearly 20 years, this was his life: a tiny room, a radio, and the constant fear of punishment. 

How did he get his freedom?

After years of being locked up, the man found a way out. 

He decided to start a fire after he found a lighter in his late father’s jacket. 

On February 17, 2024, he started a fire in his room using printer paper and hand sanitizer. 

The flames spread quickly, and soon, firefighters were called in to help.

When firefighters arrived, they found the man hurt from smoke and burns. 

For the first time in nearly 20 years, he was free.  

The man admitted to starting the fire on purpose. 

He told police he had no other way to escape years of abuse and being locked up. 

The fire not only freed him but also brought his story to light, leading to an extensive criminal investigation.  

His stepmother, who was also at home, escaped unharmed.  

Missed Red Flags: How the System Failed Him

What makes this criminal case even more heartbreaking is that there were many chances to help him—but no one did. 

Over the years, several warning signs were missed, and the system that was supposed to protect him failed. 

When he was in fourth grade, his school noticed something was wrong. 

He was always hungry, stealing food and even eating from the trash. 

His teachers, who were worried about his well-being, reported the situation to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). 

Social workers came to the house twice to check on him, but each time, his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, made him say everything was okay. 

In 2004, his classmates also got worried after they hadn’t seen him in a while.

This made their parents to report the situation to the local police department. 

Officers visited the house twice—on April 1 and April 18, 2004—to check on him. 

They talked to the boy and looked around the house but didn’t see anything wrong.  

“The house was clean, it was lived in,” Waterbury Police Chief Fred Spagnolo said. 

“At the time, we didn’t think anything was wrong.”  

After the visits from law enforcement officials, the family filed a lawsuit against the school district, saying the school was harassing them.

The police didn’t look into it anymore, and the case was forgotten.  

For years, no one checked on him again.

Even family members who were worried didn’t say anything

According to CNN, they were afraid of what Sullivan might do.  

The system failed him at every step. Because of this, he spent almost 20 years locked up, suffering alone.

Kimberly Sullivan in court

Where the Case Stands Now and Justice for the Victim

This true crime case has shocked the nation, and now everyone is watching to see how justice will be served.

Kimberly Sullivan, the man’s stepmother, was arrested on February 21, 2025. 

She faces serious felony charges, including assault, kidnapping, and cruelty. 

Criminal investigators say she kept the man locked up, starved, and abused for nearly 20 years.  

Sullivan's defense attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, spoke to reporters outside the courthouse during her bail hearing. 

He said the charges are “absolutely not true” and that Sullivan is innocent.  

“She did not lock him in a room. She did not hurt him in any way,” Kaloidis said. 

“She gave him food and a place to live. She is shocked by these accusations.”  

Sullivan was released on a $300,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court again on March 26, 2025. 

Her legal team says they plan to enter a not-guilty plea on her behalf.  

Kimberly Sullivan after her arrest

Meanwhile, the man is finally free, but his journey is far from over. 

When police found him, he was in terrible shape.

The man was 5-foot-9 but weighed just 70 pounds. 

Authorities said he looked very sick and compared him with a Stage 4 Cancer patient. 

His hair was tangled, his teeth were rotten, and his body looked weak and damaged from years of being abused.

He is now in a medical facility, where he is getting the care he needs. 

Doctors say he will need a lot of physical therapy to recover from the damage done to his body. 

As the case progresses, many ask how this could have happened and why no one stepped in sooner. 

Waterbury Mayor Paul K. Pernerewski said this case shows why speaking up is so important if you think something is wrong.  

“It’s better to report something and have it turn out to be nothing than to let something like this go on for 20 years,” he said.  

The next court hearing will be a big step in deciding what happens to Sullivan and whether justice will be served for the victim.

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