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Biological mom of Connecticut House of Horrors victim comes forward as alleged wicked step mother appears in court

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Biological mom of Connecticut House of Horrors victim comes forward as alleged wicked step mother appears in court


WATERBURY — The biological mother of the man who says he was held captive for 20 years came forward Wednesday to blast the alleged wicked step-mother who is charged with abusing her son.

Tracy Vallerand also tried to explain why she gave up the boy shortly after he was born.

Tracy Vallerand tried to explain why she gave up the boy shortly after he was born. NBC Connecticut

“I don’t hate people at all,” Vallerand said of Kimberly Sullivan. “This one, I hate.”

Sullivan, 56, had a brief hearing that ended before she could even enter a plea on the cruelty and kidnapping charges she faces. She is out on $300,000 bail after she was accused of forcing her step-son to live in a tiny 8-foot-by-9-foot room that was locked from the outside.

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Sullivan rushed into a waiting car as her two daughters, the victim’s half-sisters, broke toward another vehicle.

Vallerand also expressed her feelings about Kimberly Sullivan. NBC Connecticut

Vallerand, 52, was in court with her own daughter, Heather Tessman.

She told reporters that she gave up her son when he was just 6 months old and left his father Kraigg Sullivan to raise him with his new wife Kimberly.

“Things didn’t work out between the two of us, and I was thinking that I was giving my son a better chance at a full life. If I had known…what…I just can’t fathom it. I have no words,” Vallerand said, according to NBC Connecticut.

Sullivan has been accused of forcing her step-son to live in a tiny 8-foot-by-9-foot room that was locked from the outside. Douglas Healey for NY Post
Heather Tessman, the victim’s half-sister and Vallerand’s daughter, went to court with her mother on Wednesday. WFSB

“There was a park that I was told Kraigg would actually take him for walks. I would park there and be there for hours just trying to see if I’d see him. Never seen him,” she said.

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Vallerand said she tried to find her son after he turned 18, but he has no social media. By then, cops said, he had been held in captivity for at least seven years — having allegedly been pulled out of school and confined inside at age 11.

“Can’t fathom it. Then to have her two daughters in the house as well,” she said. “What were they doing? Were they waiting for him to actually die? What were they gonna do then?” Vallerand said.

Sullivan had a brief hearing that ended before she could even enter a plea on the cruelty and kidnapping charges she faces. Pool

“What she did is sub-human. You can’t get away with that,” said the victim’s half-sister, Tessman.

After the hearing, Sullivan’s attorney Ioannis A. Kaloidis said that the proceedings had been continued to Friday because the state wants to put her under electronic monitoring.

When asked why Sullivan is shocked by the allegations — even though her adult stepson allegedly hadn’t been seen in 20 years and weighed just 68 pounds when authorities found him — Kaloidis said it’s the state’s job to prove his client actually committed the crimes.

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Sullivan’s adult stepson allegedly hadn’t been seen in 20 years and weighed just 68 pounds when authorities found him. AP

“The great thing about this system is we don’t have to explain it,” Kaloidis said “The state has made allegations. The state has to prove those allegations in court. Those allegations are serious, but those allegations are made by one person.”

“I understand the whole world has jumped on those allegations and has already convicted my client,” he continued. “The good thing about America is that that’s not how we work. She’s presumed innocent until proven otherwise in court.

“Right now, they’re just allegations,” he said. “I’m sorry that she’s been convicted worldwide and everyone wants to proceed to a lynching, but we have a system. She has rights.”



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Sheehan vs. Woodland live stream: Watch Connecticut high school football Class S state semifinals

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Sheehan vs. Woodland live stream: Watch Connecticut high school football Class S state semifinals


The 2025 Connecticut (CIAC) high school football state playoffs continue on Monday, Dec. 8 with the Class S semifinals. Sheehan (9-2) and Woodland Regional (11-0) will meet in the first S semifinal at 5 p.m. ET. You can watch the Sheehan-Woodland Regional game live here:

  • WATCH LIVE: Sheehan vs. Woodland Regional football is streaming live on NFHS Network

Woodland Regional is coming off a 42-14 victory over Bloomfield in the S quarterfinals. Junior running back Nico Scampolino racked up 126 all-purpose yards and three total touchdown in the win.

Sheehan blanked North Branford 42-0 in the other quarterfinal behind 202 total yards and four total touchdowns from senior quarterback Jake O’Brien.

The Sheehan-Woodland Regional CIAC Class S football state semifinal is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. ET on Monday with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.

High school football championships on NFHS Network

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How to watch Sheehan vs. Woodland Regional Class S football state semifinals

What: Sheehan vs. Woodland Regional 2025 CIAC Class S football state semifinals

When: Game time is set for 5 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 8

Where: Woodland Regional High School | Beacon Falls, Connecticut

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Watch live: Watch Sheehan vs. Woodland Regional live on the NFHS Network



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Mitten Run returns to West Hartford for the holiday season

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Mitten Run returns to West Hartford for the holiday season


About 1,700 people participated in the Blue Back Mitten Run in West Hartford on Sunday morning.

“I love this race,” said Bruce Pfalzgraf. “There’s a lot of people, a lot of enthusiasm, and it’s a great finish.”

The Hartford Marathon Foundation hosted the sold-out race, which featured people decked out in holiday themed costumes and wearing mittens.

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“It’s warmer than we thought,” said Patty O’Brian. “I thought it was going to be a lot colder, so this is great.”

The race also worked as a clothing drive, with organizers collecting new hats, gloves and other clothing items. Those items will go to West Hartford’s The Town That Cares program, which is helping people keep warm during the winter months.

“It’s an easy drop, just drop a couple mittens or drop a couple of hats and gather stuff,” O’Brian said.

Girls on the Run had about 400 runners participating in the event. The organization encourages girls to run.

“During the wintertime, it’s the best time to stay active,” said board chair Lindsay Reiff. “That’s when the seasonal depression kind of starts to set it.”

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Clouds Return Sunday, Tracking Cold Temps Early Next Week

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Clouds Return Sunday, Tracking Cold Temps Early Next Week


Mostly clear tonight with temps falling into low 20s by the morning.

Mostly cloudy skies are expected Sunday afternoon with temps returning to the upper 30s to near 40.

Another cold blast into early next week–potentially colder than what we saw Friday morning. Low temperatures Monday night and into Tuesday morning will likely fall into the single digits and for some towns, closer to zero.

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