On January 3rd, 1971, sixteen-year-old Angela Brandt was curled up in front of her family’s new color TV, getting settled back into their home located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after having spent two weeks vacationing in Florida.

That evening, Angela and her family were watching the TV show, The FBI. "Unknown Victim," Season 6, Episode 16, just aired. An episode where kidnappers abduct a young woman, mistakenly believing she is the daughter of a millionaire. In reality, she is the daughter of a middle-class couple who was driving a car that belonged to the intended victim.

While engrossed in the show, Angela had no idea that, all too soon, she was about to live through a horrific ordeal—one that she had only ever heard about.

After the show, Angela went up to her room to read. Her mother, who was pregnant, Isla Brandt, ran a bath and started reading Time magazine. While her father, Herbert Brandt, was shaving. The night seemed like any other as the family went about their typical, nightly routines.

That is until the quiet stillness of the casual night was shattered in an instant—when gunshots echoed through the house.

Not expecting anything as tragic as someone firing a gun, 16-year-old Angela was in her room, assuming it was just firecrackers the neighbors were letting off, mentally shielding herself from the dark reality. But something felt off... She got out of bed to investigate. She could hear her parents yelling…The commotion, tangled with confusion, became all too real when her mother’s voice cut through the chaos with a chilling warning: 'Angela, call the police.'

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In Part 2 of Stolen Betrayal: The Life and Tragedy of Lita McClinton, we dive into the twisted motives, the hired hitman, and the decades-long pursuit of justice for a woman who deserved so much more.

Power, greed, and a cold-blooded plan.

Jim Sullivan, a wealthy businessman with everything to lose, was hundreds of miles away in Florida when his estranged wife, Lita McClinton, answered the door to what should have been an ordinary delivery. Instead, she met a bullet. The brutal murder was no random act—it was orchestrated with chilling precision by a man who refused to let go.

Fueled by greed and an unchecked ego, Sullivan’s desire for control didn’t end with divorce papers. He wanted Lita erased. But how did he pull off a murder from another state? And how did investigators finally unravel the tangled web of deception?

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Lita Gail McClinton was the embodiment of grace, ambition, and charm—a young woman deeply loved by her family and admired in Atlanta’s elite social circles. But beneath the surface of her seemingly perfect life, a storm was brewing.

In this first part of our two-part series, we explore Lita’s supportive upbringing, her whirlwind romance with a wealthy man, and the red flags that signaled trouble ahead. What started as a fairytale soon turned into something far more sinister. As Lita fought for love, respect, and independence, she had no idea that the battle she was fighting would lead to a devastating betrayal.

What happens when love turns into control? When trust becomes manipulation? And when warning signs are overlooked—until it’s too late?

Join us as we unravel the untold story of Lita McClinton, a woman caught in a dangerous web of love and deception—one that would ultimately change her life forever.

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Lita McClinton story, Atlanta socialite mystery, Lita McClinton husband, James Sullivan marriage, true crime Atlanta, high-profile crime case, toxic relationship warning signs, love and betrayal, Crime Salad podcast

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