'Want to see them all fried': Kin of Connecticut house of horrors victim seeks justice

Heather Tessman, a woman who had spent years searching for her long-lost half-brother, was devastated after learning the truth about his unimaginable abuse. For over two decades, Tessman had been trying to find him after he turned 18, but every time she inquired, those in his life—his stepmother, father, and stepsisters—lied about his whereabouts.

Tessman had no clue that her half-brother had been locked in a small room of a Connecticut home, starved, and deprived of basic needs by his stepmother, Kimberly Sullivan. The 32-year-old victim was found last month in Waterbury after setting the house on fire to escape.

Authorities found that he had been kept in isolation, with his living conditions likened to that of a "horror movie." He had been denied food and water to the point of having to drink from a toilet.

Tessman, who had only met her half-brother once as a child, was horrified when she learned of the abuse. During an interview with WFSB, she said, "I want to see them all fried," referring to Sullivan and her two daughters.

She believes that Sullivan took out her resentment on him because he wasn’t her biological son. "Her daughters got to have a life. What did he get? A jail cell," Tessman said.

The truth came to light when Tessman’s biological mother contacted her, confirming that the severely malnourished man discovered in the burning house was her long-lost brother.

The victim, who is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, was found weighing only 68 pounds. Tessman remains hopeful for a future where they can reunite and begin the process of healing.