A Look into Lita McClinton Sullivan’s Murder: The Investigation Lingers on
A new book titled, “A Devil Went Down to Georgia,” is shedding some light on the tragic and enigmatic murder case of Atlanta socialite, Lita McClinton Sullivan. More importantly, the book probes into how her husband, James Sullivan, managed to slip through the cracks of justice for decades before finally being nailed down.
The History Behind The Horror
In case you’re not familiar with this twisted tale, Lita McClinton Sullivan was murdered in 1987. The story sent shockwaves throughout Atlanta, and the tremors were felt globally too. After all, Lita wasn’t just some random person; she hailed from a celebrated African American family with political ties.
Her life was claimed abruptly in what turned out to be an organized murder-for-hire plot. But the most confusing bit about this case isn’t just the horrifying demise of this woman, but the fact that her husband, James Sullivan, managed to steer clear from conviction for almost two decades.
The Unveiling
Deb Miller Landau, the author of “A Devil Went Down to Georgia,” spent years delving into Sullivan’s criminal case, trying to understand the reason behind this extended delay in justice. Her conclusion? Turns out, privilege and wealth played significant roles in James Sullivan’s evasion.
The Sullivans were a well-off couple residing in Buckhead, one of Georgia’s affluent and predominantly white neighborhoods. When Lita was murdered in broad daylight at her home, she’d been in the midst of an ugly divorce process with her white husband, James.
As Miller Landau explains, “A man rang Lita’s doorbell with a white box with a pink ribbon around it. Somebody heard her say, ‘Good morning,’ then the man pulled out a gun and shot her twice.”
Playing The Blame Game
Despite the suspicious circumstances and her estranged relationship with James, this Boston-native wasn’t charged until five years after the tragic incident. However, in 1992, due to a lack of evidence, the case was dismissed.
Fingers Point Everywhere But The Guilty
Miller Landau asserts that James Sullivan skillfully managed to divert the attention of detectives and investigators, practically blaming the victim for her own demise. After the dismissal of his case, he evaded the country and was finally extradited from Thailand and convicted on murder charges in 2006, nearly 19 years after Lita’s death.
Reflecting over Sullivan’s delayed conviction, Miller Landau asks, “Why did it take so long to bring him to justice?” Her book addresses this critical question, painting a bigger picture of privilege and class. “We have a long history of giving wealthy white men the benefit of the doubt. We also give Black women or women of color so much less of the benefit of the doubt,” says Miller Landau.
Sullivan is currently serving a life sentence without parole at Macon State Prison. The hired gunman, Phillip Harwood, was released in 2018 after serving a 20-year sentence. The journey to justice has been strenuous and long, but the conversation sparked by this case, and Landau’s book, is one we need to keep alive.
