The stepmother accused of holding her stepson captive for two decades in Connecticut made a brief court appearance, maintaining a stern silence as she faced additional charges.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, is now grappling with multiple accusations, including assault and kidnapping, after allegedly confining her stepson in her Waterbury residence for years.
The victim, a 31-year-old man identified only as ‘S,’ reportedly set a fire in February 2025 in a desperate bid to escape, claiming he had been starved, neglected, and at times forced to drink from the toilet to survive.
Sullivan was first taken into custody on March 12, 2025, and entered a plea of not guilty to charges of first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful restraint, and cruelty to persons.
Originally charged with second-degree kidnapping, prosecutors have since elevated this to two counts of first-degree kidnapping as of Thursday.
The initial second-degree kidnapping charge pertained solely to the alleged abduction of her stepson.
One of the first-degree kidnapping charges alleges she abducted S with intent to harm him, and the other alleges she abducted him to cover up another felony.
Each charge comes with a minimum sentence of 10 years in jail.
Sullivan was seen entering court on Thursday wearing large blackout sunglasses, red lipstick, a maroon pantsuit, and a brown coat with her hood up in what appeared to be an attempt to cover her face.
Kimberly Sullivan, 56, Sullivan was seen entering court wearing a brown coat with her hood up in what appeared to be an attempt to cover her face
Sullivan donned a maroon pantsuit and red lipstick for the brief court appearance on Thursday
Pictured: the Waterbury, Connecticut home where the alleged victim said he was held captive
Sullivan’s court appearance was brief – less than three minutes long. It mainly covered how her attorney plans to obtain S’s medical records after the fire.
‘We just took a look at them, it’s similar to what is already alleged,’ Ioannis Kalodis, Sullivan’s lawyer, said in a press statement.
‘I don’t think it really changes too much on our end,’ he added.
A pre-trial hearing was scheduled for April 30, 2026, but the judge said Sullivan does not have to appear in person.
S was rescued on February 17 when law enforcement responded to his Waterbury home after reports of a fire.
First responders discovered the alleged victim hiding in a fetal position. Prosecutors have now alleged that his condition was similar to a ‘survivor of Auschwitz’s death camp.’
He weighed only 68 pounds when first responders discovered him, and doctors later told investigators that when S attempted to eat, ‘pieces of his teeth would break off’ due to ‘severe tooth decay.’
Investigators noted that there was ‘clearly an issue with his hygiene,’ after the victim had allegedly ‘not bathed in a year or two,’ according to a police affidavit.
Law enforcement believes that S was taken out of school at 11 years old and was allegedly held captive in the home for over 20 years.
During this time, Sullivan is accused of keeping the victim hidden away in a small room without heat or air conditioning, and limiting his access to food and water.
She removed her sunglasses while inside the courtroom, revealing thick black eyeliner and rouge cheeks similar to the make-up she wore in her police booking photograph (shown above)
Pictured: Sullivan at a previous court hearing in mid-March 2025. She has said she is not guilty
He allegedly was only given two water bottles a day, which he occasionally used to clean himself because he wasn’t allowed frequent access to a bathroom.
An investigation revealed that the victim’s father died last year and his biological mother had relinquished custody when S was a child.
His biological mother, Tracy Vallerand, 52, previously told Daily Mail that the last time she saw her child was when he was only six months old.
‘I had my own problems going on, I didn’t give him away. His father took custody of him. He was supposed to be safe there,’ Vallerand said.
She went on to say that her child’s father never let her see him and she lost contact with the family.
‘So many people have failed him. He was supposed to be safe, he was supposed to be cared for, he was supposed to be loved,’ Vallerand added.
‘He was denied that, and that makes me angry, that makes me upset.
‘He shouldn’t have ever had to deal with that, and he shouldn’t have ever been afraid because they terrorized him.’
