
From the outside, Kimberly Sullivan's life looked normal. She lived in a quiet family home in Waterbury, Connecticut.
But behind those walls, something was very, very wrong.
On February 17, the house went up in flames. Emergency services rushed to the scene. Sullivan escaped unharmed. Her 32-year-old stepson was rescued from the home.
And that's when everything unravelled.
As he received medical attention, he dropped a bombshell.
He started the fire. On purpose.
And the reason why was even more disturbing.
"I wanted my freedom," he told police.
The man, who has not been publicly identified, recounted a hellish tale of decades-long abuse and suffering, allegedly at the hands of his stepmother.
In the weeks following this revelation, his biological mother, who gave up custody of him when he was a baby, said she and her daughter spent years trying to find him.
They were horrified to learn why their efforts were in vain.
When authorities rushed to the Waterbury home, the man alleged he had been held captive by Sullivan since he was 11. It sparked an extensive police investigation that led to Sullivan's arrest on March 12.
"Detectives determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment," police said.