Young man held captive in Connecticut home for decades makes first public statement ‘to have my say in how my story is told’

By Ray Sanchez, CNN

(CNN) — He asked to be identified only as “S” to protect his identity.

“My name is my choice, and it is the first of many choices I will make for myself now that I am free,” said the 32-year-old man who set a Connecticut home on fire in February to escape the place where he allegedly endured more than 20 years of captivity, abuse and starvation at the hands of his stepmother.

“This is not the name given to me by my parents when I was born. I am choosing a new name for myself, and I will use that name as I reclaim control over my life and my future,” he said in his first public statement shared by a spokesperson Tuesday.

Freedom arrived February 17, when he used a lighter to start a fire that led first responders to a small room at 2 Blake Street in Waterbury, Connecticut. The 5-foot-9 man was covered in soot and weighed only 68 pounds.

Months after the case – known by some as Waterbury’s “house of horrors” – captured the nation’s attention, the victim is speaking out “to begin the process of reclaiming my life and to have my say in how my story is told,” he said.

His stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan, 56, has pleaded not guilty to felony charges including kidnapping, assault and unlawful restraint. She is accused of confining her stepson since he was around 11, according to her arrest warrant.

Sullivan, who has maintained her innocence through her attorneys and claims the allegations are false, remains under house arrest and was ordered by a judge to wear an electronic GPS monitoring device while she is released on bail. A spokesman for her attorneys said Tuesday there was no immediate comment.

“I am a survivor of more than 20 years of captivity and domestic abuse,” the survivor said in his statement. “I was held prisoner in my home from the time I was taken out of the fourth grade at age 11 until two months ago at age 31 when I purposely set the fire that helped set me free.”

He thanked the “first responders, the law enforcement investigators and everyone who is working to hold those responsible for my abuse accountable.” He expressed gratitude to the staff at Safe Haven Waterbury, a center that offers support to victims of domestic abuse, and people who donated to a GoFundMe in his name. He also thanked the health care professionals “who have helped and nurtured me,” along with his attorneys.

The survivor said he “is much better and stronger than I was the day the first responders carried me out of my home. I am beyond grateful for the care I have received since then. To all the health care professionals who have helped and nurtured me, thank you.”

‘This isn’t just a story. It’s my life.’

He asked people with knowledge of his story to cooperate with authorities, and for the public and media to respect his privacy.

“This isn’t just a story. It’s my life,” he said. “Thank you all for your thoughts and messages, your support and your continued prayers as I recover.”

The victim told investigators he was locked in a storage room with additional locks added over time, surviving each day on two sandwiches – egg salad, tuna, or peanut butter – and a small amount of water.

By his teenage years, he said, he was constrained to his room 22 to 24 hours a day. To relieve himself, he devised a makeshift funnel to direct urine out the window using straws, according to an affidavit included with the warrant.

The abuse may have begun even before his alleged captivity. He told police that by fourth grade, he was scavenging for food at night, prompting Sullivan to lock him in his room. Eventually, he was removed from school and was only allowed out to complete chores.

Despite two wellness checks by the state’s Department of Children and Families and police visits in 2004, the alleged mistreatment went undetected. At the time, authorities reported finding a home that appeared clean and “lived-in,” according to Waterbury Police Chief Fred Spagnolo, and no further action was taken.

In January 2024, the man’s father died, leaving Sullivan as his sole caretaker. According to the man, Sullivan’s control over him grew even more restrictive.

The man told investigators it got to a point where “the only time he would ever be out of the house once his father died was to let the family dog out in the back of the property” and only for about one minute a day, according to the affidavit.

Search warrants later revealed plywood and locks on the door to his room, corroborating his account of confinement.

In his statement Tuesday, the survivor shared a glimpse into his recovery.

“I appreciated the chance to have my first ever birthday party to celebrate turning 32,” he said.

CNN’s Dakin Andone, Alaa Elassar, Yon Pomrenze, Brynn Gingras and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.

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