The Connecticut man whose stepmother allegedly held him captive in a house of horrors for more than two decades has released his first public statement since he was liberated in February.
Going only by “S” in a statement obtained by News 8, the 32-year-old man — who was just 68 pounds when he intentionally set his room on fire and was rescued by first responders — said he was getting stronger by the day.
“Please call me ‘S.’ This is not the name given to me by my parents when I was born. I am choosing a new name for myself, and I will use that name as I reclaim control over my life and my future. My name is my choice, and it is the first of many choices I will make for myself now that I am free.
I am a survivor of more than 20 years of captivity and domestic abuse. I was held prisoner in my home from the time I was taken out of the fourth grade at age 11 until two months ago at age 31 when I purposely set the fire that helped set me free.
I am speaking out today to begin the process of reclaiming my life and to have my say in how my story is told.
I am much better and stronger than I was the day the first responders carried me out of my
home. I am beyond grateful for the care I have received since then. To all the health care
professionals who have helped and nurtured me, thank you. In addition to all of your care, I appreciated the chance to have my first ever birthday party to celebrate turning 32.
I also want to thank the first responders, the law enforcement investigators and everyone who is working to hold those responsible for my abuse accountable. Thank you to everyone at Safe Haven Waterbury and everyone who has given to the GoFundMe page that will help cover some of the overwhelming expenses I will face in the weeks, months and years to come.”
The man’s stepmother, 57-year-old Kimberly Sullivan, has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and kidnapping.
She allegedly kept him locked in a 8-by-9-foot “back storage space” for more than 20 years, and during that time starved and abused him.
Sullivan often deprived her stepson of basic necessities like water – leaving him forced to drink out of the toilet to stay alive, he told police.
And even before being trapped, as a boy he says he would often resort to stealing classmates’ lunches or scavenging food from garbage cans to stay alive.
That behavior prompted a pair of home visits from the Connecticut Department of Children in the early 2000s, leading Sullivan to yank the boy from school.
Over the years he says he wasn’t allowed to cut his hair or bathe, and would often lose his teeth while chewing on whatever meager rations he was given.
When his biological father died in 2024, the conditions of his confinement worsened until he set a fire in an attempt to free himself. First responders who carried him from the house compared him to a Holocaust survivor.
Sullivan has been freed after posting a $300,000 bail.
