A lawyer for Kimberly Sullivan, the Connecticut woman accused of holding her stepson captive for more than 20 years, has continued to maintain her innocence, contending the allegations came as an “extreme shock.”
“She did not harm him, she did not restrain him, she did not imprison him,” attorney Ioannis Kaloidis said during an appearance on Fox News.
“Her life has been turned upside down. She has a giant target on her back,” he continued, adding that Sullivan “recognizes that given these allegations, the rest of her life is on the line.” Still, she’s “hopeful that through the process she will be vindicated.”
Sullivan was arrested in March, weeks after her stepson intentionally set fire to their Waterbury home with a lighter, hand sanitizer and paper in a bid to regain his “freedom.” He told responding officers he’d spent more than 20 years almost entirely confined to an 8-by-9-foot room with no bathroom. During that time, he alleged he was deprived of food, water and other basic needs.
Police said he measured 5-foot-9 and weighed just 68 pounds when firefighters rescued him from his burning home on Feb. 17.
“My client adamantly denies that there was any imprisonment,” Kaloidis said. “As for the whole history, there’s a lot that I anticipate will come out over the course of the trial, hopefully, because I think that’s the appropriate place for the release of any additional information.”
Sullivan — who is currently out on bail — is facing charges including assault, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment. She pleaded not guilty last month to all the charges against her.
