Where is Phillip Anthony Harwood now? Details explored ahead of 20/20 on ABC

Phillip Anthony Harwood is a hitman accused of killing Lita McClinton Sullivan, the socialite daughter of local Atlanta politicians. Harwood was convicted of the crime in 1987 and was released from the Coastal State Prison in Georgia, Atlanta, in May 2018, after serving a sentence of over 20 years.

Presently, the 70-year-old Phillip Anthony Harwood resides in Mount Pleasant, North Carolina. He was initially on probation after his sentence but now leads a quiet life surrounded by friends and family. A shocking revelation unveiled that the crime was masterminded by Lita's husband James Sullivan.

The upcoming episode of ABC's true crime series 20/20, titled A Puzzling Murder, delves into the details of the crime and the consequences for Philip Anthony Harwood.

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Was Phillip Anthony Harwood involved in Lita McClinton Sullivan's murder?

Phillip Anthony Harwood was a truck driver hailing from North Carolina. He came in contact with the prominent Atlanta businessman James Sullivan when he transported some furniture for the latter. James Sullivan and his wife, Lita McClinton Sullivan, were scheduled for a divorce hearing in January 1987. The divorce was filed by Lita McClinton when she learned of her husband's adultery with another woman.

However, on the morning of the divorce hearing, Lita Sullivan was lured to the front door of her residence in Atlanta by the doorbell and manipulated into opening it when only a bouquet of pink roses was visible through the peephole. In a truly horrifying turn of events, she was killed by a shot straight to the head upon opening the door, and her killer remained unidentified for the next 11 years.

11 years later, in 1998, Phillip Anthony Harwood's name was brought to the spotlight by his then-girlfriend. She stated that she had physically witnessed Sullivan paying $25,000 cash to Harwood in exchange for murdering his estranged wife to protect his properties and assets in the divorce.

Harwood was arrested in April 1998 and later accused of several charges including murder, assault, and battery, with respect to the Sullivan case. James Sullivan had fled the country by then, with an arrest warrant out for him.

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Phillip Anthony Harwood pleaded guilty and served his time

Phillip Anthony Harwood initially did not plead guilty. However, after four years in prison, he amended his statement and made a plea deal since it became obvious to him that he would receive a death sentence if found guilty. His lawyer at the time, Tom West, wrote a letter to People magazine.

“However as in any case where the state’s potential punishment is the death penalty or life in prison, the sentence Mr. Sullivan received, the pressure to accept a plea deal is strong,” he stated in the letter.

Phillip Anthony Harwood pleaded guilty to the charges of violent manslaughter in February 2003 and agreed to testify against James Sullivan. In his testimony though, Harwood claimed to be innocent and admitted only to having accepted the payment from Sullivan but not actually committing the murder.

He received a prison sentence of 20 years, including the time he had already served from 1998 to 2003. James Sullivan was found and received a life sentence without parole in 2006, which he is currently serving at the Macon State Prison in Georgia.

Phillip Anthony Harwood was released in May 2018 and currently leads a secluded life.

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Catch the details of the sordid case on the upcoming episode of ABC's 20/20, with hosts David Muir and Deborah Roberts on Friday, October 25 at 9 pm ET. Viewers can also stream it the next day on Hulu and Disney+.