TONIGHT: 20/20 profiles murder of Buckhead socialite killed after answering door for flower delivery

ATLANTA — It was a cold January day in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta when a young, beautiful socialite, Lita McClinton Sullivan, answered the front door of her home. 

Surprised to see a delivery man holding a dozen pink roses, Lita began to accept the delivery - but in an instant - the delivery man pulled out a gun and fired shots, leaving Lita with a fatal wound to the head.

In a new “20/20,” co-anchor Deborah Roberts reports on the shooting that left everyone wondering, “Who killed Lita?” “20/20″ airs Friday night on Channel 2 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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Lita was working in an upscale Atlanta boutique when she met her future husband, Jim Sullivan. A somewhat mismatched pair, the two began a whirlwind romance, and within a year, they married.  Soon after, Lita and Jim began having problems in their marriage, including money issues and alleged affairs. On the morning that Lita was murdered, she had an important court hearing that may have changed the course of her life. Instead, Lita McClinton Sullivan answered a knock at the door, and in an instant, she was gunned down in cold blood.

Police launched a search for Lita’s killer, and her parents offered a reward for information, but the case remained cold - that is - until a tipster came forward nearly two decades later with information that Lita’s husband Jim was behind the murder.

“20/20″ features interviews with the lead prosecutor on the case, Clint Rucker; Lita and Jim Sullivan’s friend, Marvin Marable - who was a person of interest following the murder; one of Lita’s friends, Judge M. Yvette Miller; and investigators retired FBI Special Agent John Kingston, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s John Lang, who helped bring Lita’s killers to justice.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne also speaks with 20/20 about how Channel 2 Action News covered the case.

ABC News’ “20/20″ is the No. 1 award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 45 years, “20/20″ features unforgettable, character-driven true-crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high-profile stories. Janice Johnston is the executive producer. The two-hour “20/20″ events air Fridays from 9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT on ABC and are available to stream on ABC News digital platforms and Hulu

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