Woman arrested in US for allegedly holding stepson captive for 20 years

In a shocking case from Connecticut, a man has escaped after being held captive by his stepmother for two decades. The man, who is now 32 years old, managed to break free by setting fire to the small room where he was kept. When authorities arrived at the scene, they found him in a 72 square-foot room, severely malnourished and weighing only 68 pounds. He was treated for smoke inhalation after the fire, which he started as a desperate attempt to gain his freedom. According to police reports, the man endured years of abuse, neglect, and starvation. He revealed that he was given only a sandwich and two small bottles of water each day. For most of his life, he was allowed out of the room for just two hours daily to perform chores, always under the watchful eye of his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan. The prosecutor stated that the man used hand sanitizer, paper, and a lighter to ignite the fire, fully aware of the risks involved. At the time of the fire on February 17, Kimberly Sullivan was at home but did not communicate with the authorities when they arrived. Her attorney has denied the allegations, claiming that she provided food and shelter for the man and that he was not locked away. The police chief, Fernando Spagnolo, described the situation as both heartbreaking and unimaginable. The victim told investigators that he had been confined to that room since he was around 11 years old, and he had been trying to escape for 20 long years. The timeline of events surrounding the death of his father remains unclear, but it is believed that the man's living conditions deteriorated significantly after that. When he was discovered, he had a body mass index (BMI) of just 11, which is far below the healthy range of 18. 5 to 24. 9 as defined by the National Health Service. Authorities also noted that during his time in captivity, the man did not receive any medical or dental care, further highlighting the severity of his situation.