‘House of horrors’: Photos released from inside home where stepmom allegedly held man captive for 20 years

WATERBURY, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) – Police have released crime scene photos that show the inside of the Connecticut home where a woman has been accused of holding her stepson captive for more than 20 years.

The images provide a glimpse into what investigators call a “house of horrors,” where the victim was reportedly confined to a small room for up to 22 hours a day by the suspect, 56-year-old Kimberly Sullivan.

In the newly released photos, authorities highlighted exterior locks that were used to secure the door to the stepson’s bedroom from the outside.

Officials said Sullivan used a “slide” lock and latch to imprison her stepson in a tiny 9-foot-by-8-foot room for much of his life.

The victim, now 32, was rescued in February after police said he set a fire inside the room in an attempt to escape his confinement.

When speaking to first responders, he said he had intentionally set the fire in his upstairs room.

“I wanted my freedom,” he told them.

When he was rescued, the man was 5′9″ tall and weighed only 68 pounds.

The images also show rooms in the home that appear heavily charred, likely the result of the fire set by the victim.

Investigators said that the photos, along with the victim’s testimony, will be crucial in building their case against Sullivan.

Sullivan’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, previously said his client was not guilty.

“Absolutely not true. He was not locked in a room. She did not restrain him in anyway,” Sullivan’s attorney argued. “She provided food and she provided shelter and she was blown away by these allegations. Absolutely not.”

Kaloidis also sent a letter to Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo following the release of the photos.

Kaloidis requested that the photos released be preserved, writing, “I respectfully request that any and all information relating to the release of any and all evidence in this case be preserved.”

The attorney added, in part, that, “The requested information is relevant and material to Ms. Sullivan’s current pending matter. This preservation request is made to preserve material, relevant, and potentially exculpatory evidence. Failure to preserve said evidence will likely result in violation of my client’s constitutional rights.”

When he was rescued, the victim told police he was provided with only minimal amounts of food and water, which led to his extremely malnourished condition.

He told police he would be given only two cups of water a day and was sometimes forced to drink out of the toilet.

The alleged abuse began when he was 11 years old, and the last time he was allowed to leave the house was when he was 14 or 15 years old.

He was pulled out of school in fourth grade. He told police that he had no contact with anyone outside of his home.

“He was, without exaggeration, akin to a survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp,” a prosecuting attorney said.

Sullivan was arrested March 12 and charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment.

She was released on bond is scheduled to appear in court on April 22.