The conservator for the now-33-year-old man rescued from a Connecticut home in February 2025 has filed a claim seeking approval to sue the state
Credit: Waterbury Police Department
NEED TO KNOW
- The court-appointed conservator for “S,” the Connecticut man rescued from his home weighing just 68 pounds after 20 years of captivity, has filed a claim announcing her intention to sue the state
- The claim against the state of Connecticut alleges that if DCF had properly investigated the early reports, “S” would have been “freed and allowed to live a normal life outside of captivity, without torture or abuse,” Kristan Exner writes in the filing
- Exner points out that the principal of the elementary school that “S” attended previously said in an interview that over 20 calls were made to DCF by school officials and “not a damn thing was done”
On Feb. 17, 2025, local police witnessed a shocking sight after responding to what at first appeared to be a typical house fire in the quiet Connecticut suburb of Waterbury.
Members of the Waterbury Police Department observed a man being brought out of the home who was "extremely emaciated, his hair was matted and unkempt; he was very dirty, and his teeth all appear[ed] to be rotten," according to an arrest report obtained by PEOPLE.
That man, who weighed just 68 pounds at the time and is still known only as "S" to protect his identity, would later tell police that his stepmother Kimberly Sullivan held him captive inside that home for more than two decades.
Sullivan denies that allegation and has entered a not guilty plea after being charged with two counts of kidnapping.
Now, the court-appointed conservator for "S" has submitted a claim announcing her intention to sue the state of Connecticut for failing to remove the man from Sullivan's care despite school officials making 20 calls to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) decades before his rescue.
Credit: Waterbury Police Department via AP
The claim against the state of Connecticut alleges that if DCF had properly investigated the early reports, "S" would have been "freed and allowed to live a normal life outside of captivity, without torture or abuse," Kristan Exner writes in the filing, which must be approved by the commissioner's office before she can formally proceed with a lawsuit.
Exner goes on to explain that she will be seeking at least $50,000 in damages on behalf of "S," citing comments made by Tom Pannone, who was the principal when "S" attended Barnard Elementary School years ago.
Related: He Was Allegedly Held Captive by His Stepmom for More than 20 Years. Now He's Speaking Out — and Here's Why
Related: Biological Mom Is 'So Proud' Son Escaped After Alleged 20 Years in Captivity, Wants Stepmom to 'Rot in Hell'
He "indicated in an interview that he knew 'S' was being abused and reported the abuse to DCF 'and not a damn thing was done,'" the claim states.
He also "indicated that 'S' was very small and thin and reported to administrators that he wasn't allowed food at the family home since he was 5," according to the claim.
The claim also states that Pannone reported "school officials called DCF at least 20 times."
Credit: Waterbury Police Department
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"S" was rescued from his home after intentionally setting a fire in the bedroom where he had spent almost all of the 21 previous years of his life.
He was immediately rushed to a hospital and after recovering from the smoke inhalation, began to share his story with police.
He alleged that he started drinking toilet water at the age of 3 and was removed from school after child services was called in response to him eating from the trash when he was 11.
"S" also claimed that Sullivan started locking him in his room when he was 3 years old, according to an arrest warrant.
It was when his stepmother pulled him out of school at the age of 11 that he told police he began to be locked in his room for at least 22 hours a day.
The arrest warrant describes that room as an 8-by-9-foot storage space with angled ceilings.
He was only allowed out of this room to do chores, he told police, per the report. He was also made to urinate into a bottle and defecate on newspaper, "S" told investigators.
That room did not have heat or air conditioning, and was locked from the outside by Sullivan, the report states. The victim said the last time he had left the property was when he was 14 or 15 to accompany his father to the local dump.
Exner did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment and is still waiting to learn if she is able to proceed with her lawsuit.
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