Sullivan’s trial date set, location a mystery

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

A retrial has been set for Eric Sullivan, who has already been found guilty of murder but who has seen that conviction overturned.

Still to be held in an undesignated location to prevent tainting the jury pool, the retrial of once convicted murderer Eric Sullivan will begin June 8 in parts unknown.

The trial, to be held somewhere in Middle Tennessee, will begin with jury selection at which time it will be revealed publicly, for the first time, the location of the trial so the general public can attend if they so choose.

The location is being kept secret by the court, fearing advance publicity could cause a problem in getting an unbiased jury pool since Sullivan has already been once convicted for the May 2000 murder of Louis Johnson, 63. It was the stigma of the prior conviction which prompted taking the case out of Warren County for trial.

Sullivan was granted a retrial last year after the court found prosecutors failed to share information with the defense when his co-defendant, Margie Farley, changed her story and pinned the murder on another man.

She is serving time for facilitation of murder and aggravated robbery and had originally linked Sullivan with the fatal beating of Johnson during a robbery of the Old Smithville Road resident. Prosecutors say they do not believe Farley’s new story.

Also a concern to the court as to its new jury pool is widespread knowledge here that Sullivan had been overheard confessing to his attorney about the beating death of Johnson.

The confession, overheard by a deputy, will not be allowed before the jury because it was a violation of client/attorney privilege. It was an appeal of the disallowing of the confession which helped delay retrial of the case.