Woman Accused of Keeping Stepson Captive Denies Charges

The Connecticut woman accused of keeping her 32-year-old stepson captive for 20 years has pleaded not guilty and been allowed to return home, reports CNN. However, Kimberly Sullivan, 56, must wear an electronic GPS monitoring device while out on bail awaiting trial. Sullivan was arraigned on Friday on charges including kidnapping, assault, and unlawful restraint. The case in Waterbury came to light when the stepson deliberately set fire to his room in what he told authorities was a desperate bid for freedom. The 5-foot-9 man weighed about 70 pounds when found and was hospitalized for malnutrition.

Prosecutors said during Friday's hearing that the case will include testimony from a woman who has known Sullivan for two decades. "A friend of the defendant's of 21 years has come forward and provided a written statement to the state, to the police that in the 21 years she's known this defendant, she's never spoken of a stepson, " said Assistant State's Attorney Donald Therkildsen, per NBC News. The friend says she was never allowed inside the house. The man's biological relatives, meanwhile, hope to eventually reunite with him, notes the AP. (More Connecticut stories.)