A woman from Connecticut is accused of having held her severely emaciated stepson captive for over two decades after the man set fire to the home where he was being held in order to escape.

Kimberly Sullivan, 56, was arrested on Wednesday after the shocking claims came to light when the 32-year-old man started a fire in their home on February 17.

Authorities compared the "inhumane" conditions the man was held in for over 20 years to "something out of a horror movie".

Sullivan had fled the family's Waterbury home when the blaze erupted, and the 32-year-old man, who weighed just 68 lbs according to court documents, was later pulled from the property.

He received treatment for smoke inhalation and exposure to the flames, and told first responders that he'd intentionally set light to the cramped storage space where he was forced to sleep in order to end the hellish ordeal he'd been subjected to for decades.

The unnamed man told police he'd been held captive since he was around 11 years old, explaining: "I wanted my freedom."

The police and Waterbury State’s Attorney’s Office launched an investigation which found that the man faced "inhumane treatment", including being starved, abused, and neglected, and had not had any medical or dental checkups or treatment in many years.

The man heartbreakingly revealed that when he was a little boy living with Sullivan, his father, and his siblings, he even had to resort to drinking out of a toilet bowl at times to quench his thirst as he was only allowed two cups of water per day, according to a warrant affidavit obtained by WFSB.

Before he was pulled out of elementary school, he claimed he would steal food from others or eat out of the garbage due to his hunger.

Per the affidavit, he claimed he'd been forced to use bottles and newspapers when needing the toilet in his teenage and adult years.

Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don Therkildsen said, via CT Insider: "The facts of this case, quite frankly, the facts are something out of a horror movie. That’s without exaggeration."

He added that the victim set fire to the home in a desperate attempt for freedom, "knowing he very well could have died."

In order to start the fire, the man had used hand sanitizer, printer paper, and a lighter that he'd found in the pocket of a jacket belonging to his late father, the warrant stated.

As he and Sullivan fled the blaze, the man fell to the ground and stayed there so that firefighters would be forced to pick him up, as he believed "this was his only way out of his situation".

An attorney for Sullivan, Ioannis Kaloidis, denied the claims against her on Wednesday, stating: "The allegations are horrific, but they are simply that: allegations. They’re allegations made by one person that are largely uncorroborated by any independent evidence."

Sullivan is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping, first-degree unlawful restraint, cruelty to persons, and first-degree reckless endangerment.

Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo said in a statement: "The suffering this victim endured for over 20 years is both heartbreaking and unimaginable."

Sullivan's lawyer said that she was "blown away" and "stunned" when he read the list of accusations to her, adding: "She is innocent and she has every intention of defending this case and we are confident she will be vindicated."

He claimed there was food in the home and that the stepson was not locked in a room, adding: "Does he have health issues? I’m sure he does. But she’s the stepmom, there was a biological father that was responsible for his care, who dictated his care," noting the father died last year.

Neighbors said the family kept to themselves and that they never saw the stepson outside of the house, but had seen him over the years doing yardwork without realizing it was Sullivan's stepson.

Sullivan's bond was set at $300,000, which Kaloidis said would likely be posted as soon as Thursday.

Featured image credit: Waterbury Police Department

A Colorado woman is facing murder charges after allegedly admitting to a gruesome crime involving her lover.

According to an affidavit obtained by TooFab via the Grand Junction Police Department, 32-year-old Shenting Guo called authorities on May 14, saying she "believed her boyfriend was dead, but couldn't provide a reason why." Dispatch noted she was "hysterical" as they gave her CPR instructions.

When officers arrived, they discovered a horrifying scene. The affidavit states they saw "a bed with a large amount of blood smeared on it," an "upset" woman, and "a naked male laying on his back with his feet under the bed" who was unresponsive. Officers attempted CPR on the victim and noticed "the male's penis appeared to be cut off" and he had "apparent trauma in his genitalia." EMS also noted a "stab wound" on his leg. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

As an officer left the room to wash his hands, Guo allegedly approached him in the hotel laundry room. According to the affidavit, she told the officer "to arrest her now" and referred to the victim as her "boyfriend/fiancé/husband." 

She said the victim "wouldn't let" her sleep and said she stabbed him in the leg that morning - but that’s not why she cut his penis off as she revealed in a police interview. Guo was placed in handcuffs, read her Miranda Rights, and despite requesting a lawyer, continued to make statements. Among those: "something to the effect of she killed him and she cut off his penis."

Back in the hotel room, officers discovered a knife under the bed and the victim's "severed penis in the trash can" of the bathroom. After being transported to the police station, Guo waived her right to an attorney and spoke with another detective. During that interview, she said she thought the victim "got her pregnant again" and they "argued over the issue of the child may not be his." 

She admitted to stabbing him in the leg because she was "angry" he questioned if the child was his, but claimed she "was not trying to kill him" and he "didn't appear to be in pain."

Guo then told police she went to the drug store for water, rubbing alcohol, ibuprofen, and "greens," but forgot bandages. At one point, she said the victim's "eyes went 'dull,'" he was "cold and said he may die." Regarding why she allegedly cut off his penis, she said she did it "to see if [the victim] would wake up" and even warned him beforehand, but he didn't respond.

Guo also told her father the victim "drank himself to death," but told her mother she stabbed him and cut off his genitals. She allegedly used two different knives – one for the stabbing, the other for his penis. Police say Guo and the victim shared a three-year-old child and were "in an intimate relationship" for five years. She was later charged with second-degree murder while in the heat of passion and domestic violence.

A hotel manager reported hearing shouting from the room in the early morning hours of May 14, including a man "yelling for help." When she approached the door, she "no longer heard yelling" but heard the pair talking. The manager said a male voice asked for paper towels; she didn't attempt to make further contact and eventually walked away.

Per online records, Guo is being held on $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in court on May 22.

Featured image credit: Jasmin Merdan / Getty

A father-to-be has been killed after a gender reveal device exploded ahead of a baby shower.

According to New York State Police, Christopher Pekny, 28, was working on the device that was to be used for his child's gender reveal and bay shower on Sunday (February 21) when it suddenly exploded.

Pekny was killed by the blast and his 27-year-old brother Michael Pekny was injured and subsequently treated at the Garnet Medical Center in Middletown, according to police.

The loss of Christopher was mourned by The Robin Hood diner in Livingston Manor, which has been owned and operated by the Pekny family since the 1980s, in a statement.

The family wrote on Facebook: "We are deeply saddened and must inform you all of the loss of our dear and beloved Christopher.

"We appreciate the overwhelming display of love and support that you all have shown."

The New York Post reports that the incident remains under investigation.

However, this is far from the first time that a gender reveal has ended in tragedy.

Last summer, for example, a gender reveal party in California sparked a that's grown to 7,000 acres.

In a press release posted to Instagram, the El Dorado Fire in San Bernardino County confirmed that the fire was started by a "smoke generating pyrotechnic device" used during a gender reveal party.

"Law Enforcement has determined the El Dorado Fire, burning near Oak Glen in San Bernardino County, was caused by a smoke generating pyrotechnic device, used during a gender reveal party. The fire began at 10:23 am on September 5, 2020 in the El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa. The fire spread from the park to the north on to Yucaipa Ridge that separates Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls from the City of Yucaipa." The statement reads.

The Cal Fire incident website revealed that the fire spread to cover 7,050 acres.

According to the site, more than 500 personnel were deployed to the scene of the blaze, including four helicopters and 60 engines.

A video that shows plumes of smoke billowing out of trees was tweeted by the Lieutenant of the Emergency Operations Division at San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

"Fire is now 7050 acres with 5% containment. Still encroaching on the Oak Glen area & eastern Yucaipa. Evacuation orders extended to everything East of Bryant down to Yucaipa Blvd. Multiple SBSD Stations sending personnel to assist with evacuations," a following tweet read

A Florida landlord allegedly murdered a family of four before burning their bodies in a fire pit, according to police reports.

Rory Atwood, 25, allegedly confessed to killing the family - identified as five and six-year-old children and their parents - after a disagreement with the parents, who were his friends since high school, per People.

"If there wasn’t evil in this world, we wouldn’t have to pray as much. And when I talk about this story today, you’re going to hear about evil," Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco told reporters.

Initially, Atwood denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of the Zilliot family, which included Rain Mancini, 26; Phillip Zilliot II, 25; and their children Karma and Phillip III, ages 6 and 5, respectively, according to Nocco.

The family, who had been staying at Atwood’s home in Hudson, was reported missing on Thursday by Mancini’s mother after she lost contact with her daughter.

Atwood, a father himself, allowed investigators to search his property that same day. Detectives noted nothing unusual, except for a backyard fire pit that was "actively smoldering and smoking," the criminal complaint states.

The following day, a friend of Atwood informed police that the landlord had confessed to "killing his roommates and their children" the night before, the document revealed.

Investigators returned with cadaver dogs, which reportedly uncovered "small skeletal remains," soft tissue, and two human vertebrae from the fire pit. Additionally, the back patio reeked of a strong chlorine odor.

Atwood, who initially claimed he had evicted the family due to unpaid rent, eventually confessed to the killings, according to authorities.

In his account, Zilliot II and Mancini allegedly entered the home on Wednesday night, both armed with knives. Zilliot II tried to stab Atwood but switched to physical combat after being disarmed, Atwood claimed, per the New York Post.

The landlord said he snapped when he saw Mancini using a knife to "poke" his own 4-year-old daughter in the throat. A struggle is said to have ensued over the knives and a firearm Zilliot II had brought, with Atwood allegedly gaining control and shooting both parents, according to court documents.

Atwood did not specify the whereabouts of the children during the struggle but suggested that the parents might have killed them. He later admitted that the bodies of Karma and Phillip were in the fire pit but did not confess to killing them.

Atwood reportedly claimed he used "adrenaline" to drag the bodies of Zilliot II and Mancini to the fire pit, where he burned them in flames he said they had started.

Investigators are working to confirm the identities of the remains found at the scene, but have charged Atwood based on his testimony.

Atwood pleaded not guilty on Monday and is being held without bond.

Featured image credit: Pasco County Sheriff's Office

A man, who died after cutting off his own penis on a Los Angeles street has had his identity revealed by investigating officers.

Ryan Sutherland succumbed to 'sharp force injuries' after police discovered him self-mutilating near an intersection of Figueroa Street and Pico Boulevard on Saturday, an LA County medical examiner has explained.

Police identify man who died after self-mutilation incident on Los Angeles street

The man was found near the Los Angeles Convention Center with several injuries, including a butchered penis, as well as a slashed throat, a stab wound, as well as visible attempts of trying to cut off his own arm, federal agents have told TMZ.

Footage from the scene showed the man’s body beneath a white tent beside a large pool of blood, with smeared blood across the sidewalk leading up to the area of his demise.

Items of clothing were also visible, scattered across the ground nearby.

According to a reporter at the scene, the man had removed his clothes while walking toward a 7-Eleven before suddenly collapsing.

Law enforcement acted quickly in shutting down roads surrounding the scene following the horror incident and were subsequently seen cleaning the area of the remaining blood, as LA County medical examiners worked to establish the deceased’s identity.

The Los Angeles Police Department said they were unsure what had led the man to harm himself, as they continue to look to rule out possible motives.

Rare cases of genital self-mutilation draw comparisons to the John Wayne Bobbitt case

John Wayne Bobbitt. Credit: Jeffrey Markowitz/Getty

According to a National Library of Medicine study: "Male genital self-mutilation (GSM) is a rare but serious phenomenon.

"Some of the risk factors for this act are the presence of religious delusions, command hallucinations, low self-esteem, and feelings of guilt associated with sexual offences.

"Other risk factors include failures in the male role, problems in the early developmental period, such as experiencing difficulties in male identification and persistence of incestuous desires, depression, and having a history of GSM."

The shocking nature of the injuries has drawn comparisons to the infamous 1993 case involving John Wayne Bobbitt, a renowned pornstar, whose penis was cut off by his then-wife Lorena Bobbitt in a case that became one of the most widely publicised incidents of genital mutilation in modern American crime history.

However, authorities say the Los Angeles case appears to involve self-inflicted injuries rather than an assault.

Featured Image. Credit: D-Keine/Getty