PHOENIX — Another woman is sharing her story of abuse at the hands of Timothy Sullivan as he is being charged with murdering Amy Leagans.
Police say Sullivan confessed to killing her and dismembering Leagans' body. His documented history of domestic violence in Maricopa County dates back to at least 2009.
In 2009, Kimberly Houston said she was in a relationship with Sullivan when the abuse took place.
“He just threw me down the stairs, grabbed my hair and started punching me. I don’t know how I undid the door to come out. And I ran out the house,” says Houston.
“He was just out of his mind. When he gets mad, he loses it,” says Houston.
According to court records, Sullivan pulled a chunk of Houston’s hair out and his blows to her head left bruises.
Sullivan was charged with misdemeanor assault and felonies for giving responding officers a fake ID with someone else’s name. But Sullivan took a plea deal, and was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for the fake ID.
“They just washed it under the rug,” says Houston.
From there, Sullivan’s actions escalated. In 2014, he attacked his roommate Susan Davidson.
“I pretended that I was dead. Laying there. I took short breaths,” says Davidson.
Court documents say he punched Davidson more than 20 times and choked her until she couldn’t breathe.
Sullivan was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, and aggravated assault.
Days later, Davidson gave police a statement saying, “He wanted me dead.”
Sullivan took a plea deal and was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars for assault.
“Did they do anything? No, not really,” says Davidson.
Now, both women say their cases should have prevented the death of 49-year-old Leagans.
“They should’ve did more than what they did. He should’ve been charged. Maybe it could’ve prevented something,” says Houston.
“He did it again and he did it to a woman and that family has lost their daughter,” says Davidson.
Sullivan told officers he strangled Leagans to death after an argument, then cut up her body, and disposed of it. He’s now charged with murder.
Sullivan’s next court appearance is set for next week.
