Man locked in his own home for 20 years questions why accused stepmother remains free

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A man who was captured in his own home for two decades is questioning the question of why his stepmother, who was charged with his abuse, remains free, a state prosecutor revealed Friday.

During a court appearance in Waterbury, the stepmother of the victim, Kimberly Sullivan, pleaded not guilty to a series of charges, including kidnapping, criminal assault and cruelty to persons.

The lawyer of the supervisory assistant, Don Thekildsen jr. He not only requested electronic monitoring, but also house arrest due to concerns about a possible flight risk.

“This victim is afraid. This victim lives in fear,” Thekildsen said in court. “I introduced myself to the victim, explaining who I was. His first question in this fear is: ‘Why is she walking around when I was locked up in a room for 20 years? ”

Sullivan, 57, placed $ 300,000 bail after she was arrested on March 12. She denied the allegations that she kept her stepson in a small room in their home in Waterbury and limited his food and fluids so that he weighed only 69 pounds (31 kilograms) when he was rescued. He is 5 feet-9-inch long (1.75 meters long).

This image on March 13, 2025 shows home to Kimberly Sullivan in Waterbury, Conn. (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)

This image on March 13, 2025 shows home to Kimberly Sullivan in Waterbury, Conn. (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP) (Ctinsider)

Sullivan’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, objected to the request for house arrest and Sullivan has complied with all conditions since his bail posted. He also said that threats were made against Sullivan and limited her to house arrest in one place will endanger her.

The 32-year-old man set a fire in the house on February 17 in an attempt to be free, police said. He was rescued by firefighters and taken to a hospital, where staff said he was exhausted with malnutrition.

He told police that he was closed in the small room with no heat or air conditioning most of every day since he was about 11 years old, and that he was only briefly allowed to do tasks. His father, Kregg Sullivan, left him out of the room longer, but he passed away last year, police said.

He said he was hungry all the time. He was not from the Waterbury public school system in 2004, after educators contacted the state -child’s officials with concerns about his well -being, police said. He would apparently be homeschooling.

This photo provided by the Waterbury Police Department shows Kimberly Sullivan, who was charged with kidnapping and cruelty on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson for over 20 years. (Waterbury police department via AP)

This photo provided by the Waterbury Police Department shows Kimberly Sullivan, who was charged with kidnapping and cruelty on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson for over 20 years. (Waterbury police department via AP)

State and local authorities have investigated how this could have happened, and some ask for stricter supervision of homeschooling.

Waterbury police said they visited Sullivan’s house twice in 2005, and there was nothing to worry about.

A former principal at the primary school who attended the man as a child, Tom Pannone, told WVIT-TV that school officials repeatedly mentioned Sullivan and the State Department of Children and Families, or DCF, about the concern that he was too thin and stole food and ate things from the garbage.

According to police, DCF workers visited the home, but it is not clear what the agency did. The man told police that Sullivan made him say that the authorities were all well under the threat of his food reduced.

DCF has previously said that it cannot immediately find any records involving the family. The agency announced on Friday that it had found some records in his archives and that he had revised it.

Officials did not immediately share details of the records and said they would provide them with the police and state investigators after completing a search and review.

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