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Man describes shocking living conditions he endured during 20-year home captivity: 'Unimaginable'

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Man describes shocking living conditions he endured during 20-year home captivity: 'Unimaginable'


New details have emerged in the shocking story of a 32-year-old Connecticut man allegedly held captive in a single room by his father and stepmother for 20 years.

Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested Wednesday, nearly a month after Waterbury police and firefighters responded to a fire the man lit inside the home Feb. 17.

While receiving medical care after the fire, the 32-year-old said he had been held captive in the home since he was 11 years old.

“I wanted my freedom,” he told first responders.

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Police take Kimberly Sullivan into custody Wednesday to face charges of kidnapping and cruelty for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson captive for more than 20 years.  (Waterbury Police Department via AP)

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The Waterbury Police Department Major Crimes Unit and Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office launched an extensive investigation that found the man endured prolonged abuse, starvation, severe neglect and inhumane treatment, according to a statement from the department.

Subsequent arrest warrants revealed the man was locked inside a room nearly 24 hours each day without heat or air conditioning, The Associated Press reported.

He was also provided two sandwiches and two bottles of water on a daily basis, which he rationed for soapless baths, according to the report.

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Kim Sullivan, who is charged with neglect, stands with her attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, right, during her arraignment Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn.  (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)

When he was found, the man weighed just 69 pounds, standing at 5-foot-9, the AP reported. Having no access to a bathroom, he funneled his waste through straws that led to a window.

Police noted the man was starving while still attending school, often stealing food and eating out of the garbage, according to the report. When he ate, his teeth would break due to lack of dental care.

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Sullivan was arrested and is charged with assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the second degree, unlawful restraint in the first degree, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment in the first degree.

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Kimberly Sullivan was charged with kidnapping and cruelty for allegedly holding her 32-year-old stepson captive for more than 20 years.  (Waterbury Police Department via AP)

Her bond was set at $300,000, and she was later released by the Connecticut Department of Corrections.

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo called the suffering the man endured “heartbreaking and unimaginable,” noting the man has since been diagnosed with PTSD and depression.

While authorities are investigating how the man fell through the cracks as a child, Spagnolo told the AP police only had two interactions with the family, both in 2005.

Police responded to reports of a fire at a residence on 2 Blake St. in Waterbury, Conn. (Google Maps)

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One call was a welfare check prompted by reports from classmates. Another was after the family filed a harassment complaint against school officials for reporting them to state child welfare officials, according to the report.

Officers noted there was no cause for concern, Spagnolo told the AP.

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) said it is continuing to look for records of agency involvement, according to the report. However, unsubstantiated reports of neglect or abuse are erased five years after the conclusion of the investigation.

Kim Sullivan stands between her attorneys Jason Spilka, left, and Ioannis Kaloidis during her arraignment Wednesday at Waterbury Superior Court in Waterbury, Conn.  (Jim Shannon/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)

“We are shocked and saddened for the victim and at the unspeakable conditions he endured,” the department said in a statement to the AP. “The now adult victim has shown incredible strength and resilience during this time of healing and our hearts go out to him.”

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Tom Pannone, former principal of the defunct Barnard Elementary School in Waterbury, told NBC Connecticut administrators reported the alleged abuse to police and “not a damn thing was done.”

The Waterbury Police Department, Waterbury Public Schools and Connecticut DCF did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment Thursday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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WNBA Free Agency: Grading Brittney Griner to Connecticut

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WNBA Free Agency: Grading Brittney Griner to Connecticut


After the Atlanta Dream made the move to bring Angel Reese in from Chicago, many people wondered what Brittney Griner’s future would look like. The All-Star center moved from Phoenix to Atlanta in 2025 for a new opportunity, and was a big a part of the overhauled team that ended the regular season as the three-seed. Yet, with Brionna Jones and now Reese leading their frontcourt, Griner’s role was about to be significantly reduced.

She’ll now make the move to the Connecticut Sun, joining the franchise for their last season in New England before they make the move to Houston.



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Brittney Griner signs with Connecticut Sun in huge payday

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Brittney Griner signs with Connecticut Sun in huge payday


The Connecticut Sun are making a big splash for their final season.

The team has agreed to a seven-figure contract to bring in Britney Griner, according to Sun sideline reporter Terrika Foster-Brasby.

Griner, a nine-time WNBA All-Star and future Hall of Famer, is one of the most decorated players in the history of the league and will be playing in her 13th season since being drafted No. 1 overall in 2013.

The deal also comes after the WNBA introduced its new collective bargaining agreement, which will — among many other advances — raise players’ salaries, making a select group of them millionaires for the first time since the league’s inception.

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Brittney Griner spent last season with the Atlanta Dream. Getty Images

The move comes one day following Jackie Young’s reported one-year, $1.19 million agreement to return to the Las Vegas Aces.

Griner, who spent last season with the Atlanta Dream, turned 35 this past October, was a standout on what was a surprising run to the league’s No. 3 seed, with the team finishing 30-14.

The 6-foot-9 center started in her first 25 appearances before being moved to an off-the-bench role.

The Baylor alum came off the bench for her final 14 regular-season showings and all three Dream playoff games.

Brittney Griner won a WNBA title with the Phoenix Mercury in 2014. Getty Images

The Dream were eliminated by the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever in the first round after opening with a 17-point win in Game 1.

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Griner finished the 2025 season with career lows of 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

Griner spent her first 11 seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, establishing herself as one of the best players in league history, starring on the 2014 WNBA Champion team, also led by Diana Taurasi and DeWanna Bonner.

Brittney Griner poses with her third Olympic Gold Medal in 2024. Getty Images

The six-time All-WNBA honoree is also a three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, having played for Team USA in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Summer Games, with two World Cup titles in 2014 and 2018.

She was also named to the W25, a list honoring the WNBA’s top 25 players of all time in celebration of the league’s 25th anniversary in 2021.

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Driver sent to hospital after one-car crash on I-95 in Old Lyme, police say

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Driver sent to hospital after one-car crash on I-95 in Old Lyme, police say


OLD LYME — A driver was injured and taken to the hospital after a one-car crash on Interstate 95 Thursday night in Old Lyme, according to state police. 

The state Department of Transportation reported the crash occurred on I-95 north before Exit 71 around 9:40 p.m. 

Connecticut State Police said the driver was conscious and alert, and their injuries were not life-threatening.

The crash closed the left lane, according to state police. The incident was cleared around 11:50 p.m., according to the DOT. 

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