Sullivan v. State

Following a jury trial, James Vincent Sullivan “Defendant” appeals his conviction for the murder of his wife, Lita McClinton Sullivan “Wife”, contending, among other things, that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict.1 We affirm. In the light most favorable to the verdict, the record shows that, in August 1985, Wife filed for divorce from Defendant. The ensuing negotiations were extremely contentious, especially with regard to the validity of a postnuptial agreement between the parties. The final divorce hearing was scheduled for January 16, 1987. On the morning of that day, however, an assailant disguised as a flower delivery person shot and killed Wife when she opened the door to the couple’s Atlanta townhouse where she resided. Defendant was living in the couple’s Florida residence at the time.

Due to a lack of evidence, Defendant was not charged with the murder until 1998, after Belinda Trahan came forward. Trahan testified that her ex-boyfriend, Anthony Harwood, had previously worked for a moving company and delivered furniture to Defendant’s home in Florida during November of 1986. Harwood told Trahan that Defendant had propositioned him to “take out his wife” because she was causing trouble in the divorce proceedings. Later, after a trip from North Carolina to Georgia in January of 1987, Harwood told Trahan that the job had been completed. Harwood and Trahan then traveled to a restaurant in Florida where Defendant, who was later identified by Trahan in a photo lineup, surreptitiously paid Harwood for committing the murder. After Trahan came forward, police then went to Harwood’s home in North Carolina. Harwood later confessed to the crime.