Stepson Endures 20-Year Imprisonment by Stepmother

When the firefighters of Waterbury, Connecticut, responded to a small house fire, they could not have imagined what they would find: a 32-year-old man weighing only 68 pounds suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. Paramedics rushed the emaciated victim to the hospital, and there, while in critical condition, he confessed to police that he had started the fire. Why? "I wanted my freedom," he said, as reported by ABC News.

An Unimaginable Ordeal

According to allegations by the victim, who remains unidentified, he had been held captive by his father and stepmother for over 20 years.

The victim described a life marked by continual abuse and neglect. He began drinking toilet water at the age of 3 to stave off thirst. At age 11, he was removed from school when teachers noticed he, driven by hunger, was stealing food from other students and eating out of the garbage.

Before his removal from school, his father and stepmother already locked the victim in his 8'x9' room in the evenings. After his removal, he spent at least 22 hours a day imprisoned. He was only allowed out to do chores under the constant supervision of his stepmother.
During this time, he often only had one sandwich and two small bottles of water per day for sustenance.

As he had limited, if any, access to a bathroom, he had to resort to degrading solutions to handle his bodily needs. The room in which he was imprisoned lacked both air conditioning and heating. A statement by Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo, as reported by PEOPLE, summed the situation up best: "The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable."

A Desperate Bid for Freedom

After over 20 years of confinement and cruelty, the victim made his move to finally escape: he started a fire in his room using hand sanitizer, paper, and a lighter. He knew the fire and the smoke could kill him, but he was determined to escape his situation by any means necessary. As the BBC reported, one of the prosecutors on the case said: "He had been locked in the room for 20 years, and for 20 years he'd been trying to get out of that room."

After hearing the victim's story from the hospital, police launched an investigation. They quickly determined that the victim had not received medical or dental care in the 20 years he had been imprisoned. Additionally, they found that the victim's room had external locks, which aligned with the victim's statements.

Following their investigation, police arrested the victim's stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, 56.

A Painful Story Awaits Conclusion

Sullivan is still awaiting trial at the Connecticut Department of Corrections, with a bond set at $300,000, as reported by ABC News. Sullivan's attorney, Ioannis A. Kaloidis, denied any wrongdoing on his client's behalf.

In a statement reported by PEOPLE, Kaloidis said: "She was blown away when she heard these allegations. She's adamant they are not true. This did not happen, and we look forward to being able to vindicate her and show that she's done nothing wrong. These allegations seemed to be based on the words of one individual and one individual alone."

In a separate statement reported by ABC News, Kaloidis claimed that the victim's late father "dictated how the boy would be raised." The victim's father passed away at least a year before the fire.

In a press conference reported by ABC News, Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said about the victim's case: "It's truly horrifying and beyond comprehension what occurred here. The young man's unimaginable suffering over the course of two decades is just a reminder of the darkness that does exist in our world."

The victim continues to recover from the years of neglect and abuse he suffered. He put his life on the line to escape from hellish conditions for one reason — "freedom."

References: Mother Allegedly Held Stepson Captive for 20 Years Before He Lit Fire to Escape: 'Something Out of a Horror Movie' | Stepson Who Weighed 68 Pounds After 20 Years in Alleged Captivity Ate From Trash and Drank From Toilet: Warrant | Connecticut man held captive by stepmom for 20 years weighed only 68 pounds: Police | Woman arrested in US for allegedly holding stepson captive for 20 years