Man Allegedly Held Captive for Years: 'I Wanted My Freedom'

Video has emerged showing the moments when a Connecticut woman accused of holding her stepson captive for decades alerts first responders to his presence. "My stepson is in here!" Kimberly Sullivan says in Feb. 17 bodycam footage shown by CNN and released by local police after they'd rushed to her burning Waterbury home, reportedly set ablaze by the victim.

• Video: In the clip, Sullivan, 56, is also heard informing rescuers that she has two cats. Sullivan's 32-year-old stepson, who hasn't been named, told police he set the fire on purpose so that someone would find him, alleging he'd been kept prisoner by Sullivan since he was 11. First responders can also be seen in the video carrying off what seems to be the victim, who was reportedly found in "severely emaciated condition," according to police—reports say the 5-foot-9 man weighed just 68 pounds, per USA Today.

• Charges: Sullivan, who denies all allegations against her, has been charged with assault, kidnapping, cruelty to persons, unlawful restraint in the first degree, and reckless endangerment. "Detectives determined that the victim had been held in captivity for over 20 years, enduring prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect, and inhumane treatment," the Waterbury Police Department says in a statement.
• The victim: Police say the man had received zero medical or dental care and "only minimal amounts of food and water" during his captivity. "I wanted my freedom," he's said to have told police about why he set the fire, per USA Today. CBS News has more on the horrific conditions he was allegedly kept in.
• Biological mom: A woman identified by the New York Post as a 52-year-old from Meriden says she gave up custody of the victim to her ex when he was an infant, hoping the boy "would have a better life." "In retrospect, this did not come to pass," she says in a statement to WFSB, adding she'd been trying to find and reconnect with him for decades but had always been "turned away and shut out."

• Other family: The victim's biological father, who'd lived with him and Sullivan, reportedly died last year. The Post says the victim also has two younger sisters who work nearby; they couldn't be reached for comment.
• Anger: The former principal of the Waterbury elementary school that the victim had attended before Sullivan allegedly yanked him out to homeschool him says school officials had tried to intervene after noticing the boy always seemed hungry. "We knew it. We reported it. Not a damn thing was done," Tom Pannone tells NBC New York. "That's the tragedy of the whole thing." Pannone says school officials had called state child services at least 20 times about the boy, who'd vanished from school by fifth grade.
• Glimmer of goodness: ABC News reports a crowdfunding effort has raised more than $100,000 for the man—money that will be used to help pay for his medical and dental care, therapy, living expenses, and legal fees.
• Sullivan attorney: A lawyer for Sullivan, who was released on a $300,000 bond, tells USA Today that "she's never harmed anyone" and that her client "will be vindicated."

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