In 2005, investigators went to Sullivan’s home after getting a tip of child abuse. Inside the woman’s home, they said they found her 17-year-old adopted son nearly starved to death.
Two other children were also found to be malnourished.
Sullivan pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated child abuse.
Two of those children took the stand in Sullivan’s sentencing hearing on Thursday. Each described to the court how they were always hungry and denied food. They said they were forced to sleep in a crib that was converted into a cage.
One of the children, a young girl, described how Sullivan used to duct-tape her every night:
Prosecutor: Who put you to bed?
Daughter: My mom.
Prosecutor: And how would you get into your bed?
Daughter: They put me in bed because I would be duct-taped.
Prosecutor: Tell us about that. How would you be duct-taped?
Daughter: Head to my feet. My arms right here and to my feet.
Prosecutor: Do you know why you were duct-taped?
Daughter: No.
Prosecutor: Do you know how often you were duct taped?
Daughter: Every day.
Prosecutor: Would you sometimes be awake when you were in your bed cage?
Daughter: Yes.
A caseworker told the court that the girl told her Sullivan would bite her, and the employee said the child had bite marks.
“The children that testified here today want to see who they still call Mom. They don’t understand why they’re never going to be able to talk to her, and it’s a tragic situation,” Schelx said.
Sullivan’s attorney, Chuck Fletcher, said the picture painted of his client is unfair. He believes she never did some of the things described.
“It’s a tough case. I’ve had death-penalty cases that were not as tough as this one. It was a tough case,” said Fletcher.
He also said they plan to appeal the sentence handed down on Thursday.
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