Prosecutors offered a plea deal to the Connecticut woman accused of holding her stepson, who has only been identified as “S,” captive for two decades, giving her until September to decide her fate.

Kimberly Sullivan was charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping, assault, unlawful restraint, and intentional cruelty to persons after her stepson was rescued by firefighters on February 17, 2025, and accused her of forcing him to stay inside his room in their Waterbury home for decades.

Waterbury House of Horrors

The firefighters who rescued the alleged victim thought he was a young child based on his size, and carried him out of danger. When he was checked out at the hospital, it was determined he weighed 68 pounds and was 32 years of age. He told authorities that he was locked inside the home for 20 years, only allowed out of his room to do chores.

“S” admitted later to authorities that he intentionally set the home on fire as a last desperate attempt to escape Sullivan and the situation. He said he was removed from school and locked up at the age of 11, and given very little food. Doctors who examined the alleged victim said he was showing severe signs of malnourishment. 

Plea Deal Offered

Through Sullivan’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, the stepmom maintains her innocence and denies the allegations against her. She pleaded not guilty to all charges, but on Wednesday, after a brief hearing, prosecutors offered her a plea deal if she changed her plea. 

Both sides had a meeting in the judge’s chambers before the public hearing where prosecutors offered Sullivan a 30-year sentence, suspended after 20 years, with five years of probation if she pleaded guilty to charges of kidnapping, assault, and unlawful restraint.

The court said that it would accept the prosecution’s offer, but with a suspended sentence of 10 years if Sullivan pleaded guilty. She has until September 4, 2026, to discuss the offer with her attorneys and decide. Both parties will return to court to hear her response.

Preparing for Trial

In response to the prosecution and judge’s offers, defense attorney Ioannis Kaloidis said that it is a nonstarter for Sullivan. “I don’t anticipate this case ending with anything involving incarceration,” he said.

“Kimberly has done nothing wrong, so she’s surprised any of this is even occurring,” he added. “There are some other things that we need to get done before we go ahead and put this case on the trial list. Once the offer is rejected, I do expect this to move faster, so we need to prepare for trial, line up experts.”

Sullivan was arrested a few days after the fire started, but has since been released on a $300,000 bond after charges were filed against her in March 2025 and has been in hiding since. Her attorney anticipates going to trial and, come September, hopes for a better estimated timeline. 

Inside The Home

During the investigation, authorities made some gruesome and disturbing discoveries in the Waterbury home. They found where the alleged victim was supposedly held captive, which was on the second floor, with a lock on the outside of the door.

Investigators reported the small kitchen was the only space damaged by the fire, but the rest of the home was in poor condition as well. Rooms were dirty and cluttered with random items, much like the stairs and other living spaces. It looked as if they were living in squalor.

There is much to be uncovered in this case, and there are so many unanswered questions. If a trial were to move forward, much of the investigation would reveal the deep, dark secrets confined to the walls of the Waterbury, Connecticut home.