The Waterbury Captive: 20 Years of Hidden Horror

In Waterbury, Connecticut, a 32-year-old man was allegedly held captive by his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, for OVER 20 years!... starting when he was approximately 11 years old. On February 17, 2025, he intentionally set fire to his upstairs room to escape, telling first responders, "I wanted my freedom." Emergency services rescued him from the burning home, where he was found severely emaciated, weighing only 68 pounds, and suffering from smoke inhalation. Sullivan, 56, was arrested on March 12, 2025, and charged with multiple offenses, including kidnapping, cruelty, and assault. Police investigations revealed the man endured prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment, confined to a small room with limited food, water, and no medical or dental care. Sullivan’s attorney denies the allegations, claiming she provided food and shelter, but she is currently held on a $300,000 bond. The case has been described as "heartbreaking and unimaginable" by Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo.

Let's deep dive this case and watch the press conference from this morning together!

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:55 Press Conference March 13th, 2025
00:35:15 Images from inside the home
00:36:49 Probable Cause Affidavit (Trigger Warning)
01:20:00 Community reaction
01:26:35 Debrief and Outro

Sources:

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#escape #waterbury #pressconference #courtproceedings #livestream #grizzlytruecrime #truecrime

[GrizzlyTrueCrime]

Update!! She posted bond! 😡

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:55 Press Conference March 13th, 2025
00:35:15 Images from inside the home
00:36:49 Probable Cause Affidavit (Trigger Warning)
01:20:00 Community reaction
01:26:35 Debrief and Outro

[susanmorgan]

68 pounds. That is all the evidence I need. Life in prison without parole. It's criminal that bail was even offered.

[mermaidofaloha]

His biological father allowed his wife to torture his son since the age of 2-3, starve & imprison him for decades. Shame on him & his two daughters who not only witnessed such severe neglect & abuse daily within their home for 20 years, but they were also his only hope for help and all 3 of them turned a blind eye, denied their brother and son a chance at life and participated in harming him. They are all horrendous, evil people guilty of child abuse, neglect & failure to report a crime. Those two half sisters need to be charged, put in prison and receive extensive mental health treatment.

[wickedtess]

This guy was actually pretty brilliant.

Get the *firefighters* out here. Not police, firefighters.

He knew that police had been several times anf always fooled into just walking away.

Bravo.

[courtneyfrost]

I can't understand why anyone would question the action, or inaction of the survivor. Yet, they did not question the actions of the perpetrator.

[cassie]

This level of abuse causes physical and mental disabilities in the victim. 'Why didn't he leave?' Because he's not your average 31 year old man! He will probably live with developmental delays and medical issues for the rest of his life, but I truly hope that he can heal and have a wonderful future. 🙏

[savannahhargis]

Shame on these siblings too! Arrest them, because they are of age now. They knew and enabled and allowed this to happen.

[terryellis]

He is approximately 100 lbs underweight. Bones. That weight he was carrying was basically his skeleton and skin. He was going to die. He wants to LIVE!!! After all this abuse, he recognized he was not going to make it much longer. There's so much hope in someone that wants to LIVE! ❤

[Auntie-Reese]

The law and justice system needs to review sentencing for these people who torture children. This is more than abuse and kidnapping

[GenXtothethPower]

Disgusting! I am having a hard time making excuses for the half siblings that no longer live there. I can understand fear of punishment while they are under the same roof…but if they are in their 20s-30s and living self sustaining adult lives, ie ‘adulting’…they should have enough sense to have reported it to the authorities.

[maiden]

My heart breaks for him. The male skeleton weighs 10.5 kg (23 lbs)! One third of his weight! He’s an amazing human. I hope that the stepmom’s sentences are served consecutively. I hope he sues her. He will have a lifelong history of ailments due to his malnutrition 😢Potentially, heart disease from the lack of dental care

[theresaohman]

Why do people have to victim blame when its clear if it took 20 yrs to do the fire, he was scared out of his mind. I pray he can be everything hes always dreamed of ❤

[barbarabell]

Twice I’ve called about child abuse, and I was ignored. The school psychiatrist actually asked me to call. The children lived on my street. They were eventually rescued.

[GirlfromFinland]

I hope the siblings are prosecuted as well. Since they were adults they should have interfered.

[jordanziegra]

I am shocked he even had the mental and physical capability to do this to escape.... his mind body and soul with literally consuming itself to keep him alive, how strong he is. As we have seen, many others have not made it out alive.

[malloryensminger]

This poor man. I can't imagine the trauma he's been though. He saved himself.

[Bunni]

Leaving him in the burning home, KNOWING NO ONE KNEW HE WAS THERE, IS THAT NOT ATTEMPTED MURDER?

[KatrinaRegina]

People don’t realize how the body breaks down with starvation. I have someone in my family was anorexic. At 63 pounds, he has NO muscle or fat. His body is not able to keep him warm. He likely has bed sores from his bones protruding through his skin. Not enough energy to run away. This man was literally at deaths door and not able to fight even a 56 year old women. Bless him. 💔

[FischerBlue-tczt]

This is so upsetting. That woman needs to be locked up for the rest of her life. She is purely evil. And she should not be allowed out in the public,

[Keeperofallsecrets]

I have a 32 yr old son, he is 6’4 and weighs 280. I can’t even imagine the condition this man was in. Breaks my heart.