As photos go contained within the 9-by-8-foot room the individual was allegedly locked in for twenty years, bodycam footage from the night time time of the fireplace reveals suspected captor Kimberly Sullivan denying he was locked in.
Kimberly Sullivan’s safety authorized skilled is slamming the Waterbury Police Division for releasing photographs, video, and totally different paperwork related to the case in the direction of her. The discharge received right here because the outcomes of a Freedom of Data request by CT Insider and totally different media retailers.
“The discharge of delicate proof by the Waterbury Police Division in a pending and energetic investigation is gorgeous, offensive and pretty frankly, ethically questionable,” talked about Sullivan’s authorized skilled Ioannis Kaloidis in an announcement launched to the CT Submit Tuesday.
Sullivan, 57, has been accused of holding her stepson, 32, captive throughout the dwelling for twenty years. He allegedly set a fire in his mattress room in his desperation to flee captivity, leading to his eventual escape as the house burned and firefighters carried him out.
WTIC/Waterbury PD
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“It solely serves to solidify public opinion in the direction of Ms. Sullivan,” Kaloidis talked about of the model new provides launched. “Justice requires the protection of constitutional rights and ultimately, a very good trial.”
In a motion asking the select to order prosecutors to guard paperwork concerning any Freedom of Data requests, Kaloidis talked about the discharge that did happen “appears to be a deliberate effort to have an effect on public opinion bearing immediately on the defendant’s correct to a very good trial and the presumption of innocence.”
“We title for an immediate investigation into the discharge of these photos and films,” he added, arguing, “We intend to fight these outrageous allegations every step of the way in which through which.” Sullivan has maintained her innocence from the beginning.
Sullivan’s Bodycam Denial
Among the many many objects launched is bodycam video from the night time time of the fireplace, shared her by way of CBS affiliate WFSB. Inside the footage, Sullivan denied that her stepson was locked in his room that day, or ever, as lined by The New York Submit.
In line with the knowledge outlet, Sullivan was with actually considered one of her two grownup daughters on the time she was questioned — the daughter had reportedly arrived shortly after emergency responders.
Whereas sitting in her daughter’s car shut by, an officer’s bodycam footage revealed how Sullivan responded to questions after her stepson claimed to firefighters and police that he’d been held captive and locked inside his room for 20 years.
“Was the door locked on his room, or no?” she was requested throughout the footage, to which she replied, “No.” When requested if it was “often locked,” she as soon as extra replied, “No.”
“And he has free reign to exit of there at any time when he wants?” Sullivan was requested. Her response was, “Yeah,” nevertheless police are alleging that she was lying then and continues to lie.
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Among the many many photographs launched to CT Insider are pictures of the in depth smoke and hearth hurt the house sustained, along with photos of the individual’s mattress room door, which appeared fitted with numerous locks police say had been used to take care of him confined.
Chatting with the press after Sullivan’s arrest on March 12, Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo suggested the media that investigators had recovered the door and doorjamb from the stepson’s room. He talked about they confirmed proof of locks that superior over time to, they think about, improve in security as a result of the sufferer grew up and grew stronger.
The arrest warrant extra detailed that the stepson’s door had plywood reinforcing both sides, which they think about was one different measure to cease tampering with the locks, per CT Insider.
Inside the launched photos, a cluttered downstairs area, along with kitchen and entrance room, are largely unimpacted by the fireplace, whereas there’s in depth smoke and hearth hurt in photos taken from the upstairs area, the place the stepson’s mattress room was.
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Sullivan’s Frantic 911 Title
Late last month, Sullivan’s 911 title was moreover launched to the media.
FOX NY obtained audio from Kimberly Sullivan’s preliminary title for help. “Oh my god. Please hurry. There’s a fire! Oh my god, there’s a fire!” Sullivan exclaims to the 911 operator in the midst of the title, as a result of the operator asks what’s on fire.
“The TV? I have no idea. My son, my stepson, was up in his room and I have no idea, he did one factor with the TV. I was sleeping, I fell asleep,” Sullivan cries, confirming there are flames and smoke inside the home.
“We’d like an ambulance, please! His room, the TV in his room!” she shouts, as a result of the operator asks if her stepson was injured or on fire. “Positive! He’s injured! Please ship an ambulance,” Sullivan yells into the cellphone.
When requested as soon as extra whether or not or not he’s injured, she offers, “I have no idea, he’s type of handed out. He’s out of it. Oh my god, it’s like all the power within the house is out. I have no idea if it blew a fuse.”
Bodycam footage from the scene reveals Sullivan exterior her home, as first responders ask her who else is throughout the residence.
“My stepson is in proper right here. I’m trying to have them help him out. That’s it. I’ve two cats,” she tells the individual. “All individuals’s out?” the officer asks, as she says, “Positive.” He then asks, “Nevertheless your stepson’s nonetheless inside?”
As she says “he’s correct there,” a firefighter could possibly be seen coming out the doorway door, carrying one different particular person. As she shares concern for her “shaking” canine, authorities usher her away from the scene — sooner than the stepson is positioned into an ambulance.
AP/Waterbury Police Division/CBS
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Fireplace for Freedom
Authorities first grew to develop into involved after an emergency title for an lively fire at roughly 8:42 p.m. on February 17. That call received right here from Sullivan, the proprietor of the property that was aflame.
Whereas the fireplace was quickly extinguished and Sullivan was able to evacuate of her private will, the other resident inside the home needed assist from Waterbury Fireplace Division’s Fireplace personnel.
“Whereas receiving medical care [for smoke inhalation], the male sufferer disclosed to first responders that he had intentionally set the fireplace in his upstairs room,” officers talked about in a assertion regarding the case.
As for why he started the fireplace, they talked about he suggested them merely, “I wanted my freedom.”
“He extra alleged that he had been held captive by Sullivan since he was roughly 11 years outdated,” the assertion continued. In line with CBS affiliate WFSB, which shared the entire arrest affidavit, the individual allegedly spent these years locked inside an 8-foot by 9-foot room.
The alleged sufferer “lit a fire with some hand sanitizer, some paper from a printer, and he lit that fire whereas he was locked in that room from the floor,” talked about a prosecutor in courtroom, per WFSB.
“He lit that fire very properly realizing he could die,” the prosecutor continued, “nevertheless he had been locked throughout the room for 20 years, and for 20 years he’d been trying to get out of that room.”
See further of the horrific allegations about Sullivan proper right here.
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Sullivan’s Denial & Plea
Sullivan’s authorized skilled Ioannis Kaloidis talked about the suspect’s late husband Kregg Sullivan — who died in 2024 — “was in administration” of the situation and was the one who decided to limit his son to a 8-foot by 9-foot room starting on the age of 11.
“Lastly it was the daddy which dictated the fashion by way of which his son was raised and my client was solely ending up his orders,” Kaloidis suggested PEOPLE, sooner than moreover denying the stepson’s claims that he wasn’t allowed to wash. “My client impressed him to clean nevertheless she shouldn’t be going to drive a 32-year-old man to take care of himself,” Kaloidis talked about.
The authorized skilled moreover claimed the individual was certainly not locked in his room and left the house every day for chores, like taking the trash. Per Kaloidis, “He could have merely walked away then if he wanted to depart.”
“This is just one facet of the story and folk shouldn’t rush to judgment. These allegations are horrific nevertheless there are two sides to every story, and my client plans to defend herself in the direction of these allegations,” Kaloidis concluded.
Whereas Sullivan’s lawyer is shifting blame to her late husband, the stepson spoke further favorably about him when talking to police regarding the alleged abuse.
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In line with Sullivan’s arrest affidavit, the individual mentioned that he would “be let unfastened of his room for longer durations of time by his father” and claimed “that whereas Sullivan took his sisters to events and to see associates, his father would allow him to return again out and watch television with him.”
“When discussing his father dying, he mentioned that his captivity and restraint acquired even worse,” talked about police. “[He] mentioned that it acquired to some extent the place the one time he would ever be out of the house as quickly as since his father died was to let the family canine out in the back of the property.”
Sullivan is free on $300,000 bond after pleading not accountable to all of the charges in the direction of her this earlier Friday, along with felony charges of second-degree kidnapping, and first-degree unlawful restraint. She was moreover charged with cruelty to a person, and first-degree reckless endangerment, per CT Insider.
In case you might be experiencing or witness child abuse, title the Childhelp Nationwide Toddler Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Toddler or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. Within the occasion you think about a toddler is in quick hazard, title 911.