A mother’s silence has deepened the mystery surrounding the horrific captivity of her son, who endured two decades of alleged torture inside a Connecticut home. While she insists her son was “never forgotten,” she has refused to explain why she failed to intervene as he suffered in isolation for most of his life.
“We are all trying to come to grips with this horror that my son had to endure,” said the 52-year-old biological mother, who lives in Meriden, Connecticut. “The proper feelings are just too hard to take in right now.”
But when asked why she had not taken steps to rescue her son, she avoided answering directly. Instead, she maintained that her side of the family, as well as his father’s relatives, had always cared about him. She requested that her name be withheld due to what she described as overwhelming trauma.
The victim, now 32, weighed just 68 pounds when he was rescued last month from his family’s Waterbury home. He had allegedly set a fire in a desperate attempt to escape. Authorities say he was locked in a 9-by-8-foot storage space, denied food, and forced to drink from the toilet for survival.
His stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and reckless endangerment. She was released on a $300,000 bond.
A History of Neglect
Court records and interviews paint a grim picture of a child who fell through the cracks. The boy’s parents were married in 1992, but the relationship ended in 1995. His father, Kregg Sullivan, quickly remarried Kimberly Sullivan, who became his primary guardian. Kregg’s death in January 2024 only made matters worse for the victim, who told police his captivity became even more restrictive.
Records show that educators at Barnard Elementary School in New Haven raised red flags about the boy’s welfare as early as 2005. Staff members observed him scavenging for food from the garbage and reported suspicions of abuse to state authorities. Shortly thereafter, he was withdrawn from school and disappeared from public view.
His uncle, Kurt Sullivan, 55, told investigators that he had not seen his nephew in two decades. He and other relatives were allegedly pushed away by Kimberly Sullivan when they questioned the child’s whereabouts.
“I was shocked when I saw him in the hospital,” Kurt told police, according to an affidavit. “He looked like a Holocaust survivor.”
The victim’s two younger sisters, who work nearby, have remained silent. One of them reportedly lived in the Waterbury home at one point, though it is unclear what role, if any, she played in her brother’s captivity.
A Desperate Escape
On February 17, firefighters responded to a house fire at the Waterbury home. Newly released bodycam footage shows first responders pulling the frail, malnourished man from the burning building. As they carried him out, Kimberly Sullivan stood outside clutching a dog, showing more concern for the animal than the man who had been trapped inside.
“My dog is shaking,” she is heard saying. Then, as rescuers carried her stepson’s limp body past her, she snapped, “What are you doing?”
Sullivan’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, told The Post that family members helped post her bond but refused to disclose her current whereabouts.
The victim remains hospitalized as he begins a long road to recovery. Authorities continue to investigate how this level of abuse went undetected for so long, and why those closest to him failed to act.
A Mother’s Evasive Answers
As the nation grapples with this harrowing case, one question looms large: Why didn’t his mother step in?
Despite her insistence that she never forgot her son, her lack of action remains troubling. “This is a very difficult time for all of his family,” she stated. “We need time to heal.”
For the victim, healing will require much more than time. It will require answers, accountability, and justice.
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Some people should have died, the day they were born, but life is full of surprises; what goes around comes around.
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The so called “mother” and absolutely disgusting & despicable “stepmonster” ought to be handcuffed together and thrown in the middle of Lake Superior. The last word they should hear is “swim.”
The so called “mother” and absolutely disgusting & despicable “stepmonster” ought to be handcuffed together and thrown in the middle of Lake Superior. The last word they should hear is “swim.”