Arizona journalist writes true crime memoir featuring AZ ties

Former Phoenix resident and journalist Tammy Leitner has written a true crime memoir with Arizona ties. Her new book is called “Don’t Say A Thing: A Predator, A Pursuit, and the Women Who Persevered.” In the book, Leitner finds and interviews the women who were attacked by Claude Dean Hull II.

Leitner, an award-winning journalist, reveals the impacts this crime had on the mental health of these women and herself.

Claude Dean Hull II is a serial rapist who admitted to sexually assaulting more than 10 women in Arizona. Leitner first became involved in the Hull case in 1999, when her neighbor was sexually assaulted. The victim could only describe a black velcro watch that her abuser wore. The watch was later found inside Leitner’s apartment. Leitner described the fear she felt that the abuser was possibly in her apartment and how it impacted her life.

“It really taught me empathy. It was something that I carried with me the entire time I was a journalist,” said Leitner.

Leitner interviewed different victims of the assaults and was beyond impressed with the strength that each of them showed.

“These women that I met, they truly are warriors. They were gracious enough, and strong enough, and brave enough to go back to the worst day of their lives and revisit it and share their stories in the hopes that it would start a dialogue and make it easier for other women who have been victims,” said Leitner.

Leitner draws on her own past toxic relationship to help start a dialogue for those in similar situations. Leitner points out how most people have dealt with some sort of toxic relationship in their lives. Then she pushes for them to speak out and recognize they are not alone.

Click HERE to order a copy of her book. Amazon also offers it as a free Kindle Unlimited book.

About the author

Tammy Leitner is a 12-time Emmy Award–winning broadcast and print investigative journalist. She worked as a network correspondent, regularly reporting on the “Today Show,” “NBC Nightly News” and MSNBC. Before joining NBC News in 2016, Leitner worked for local news outlets. She was based in New York City, Chicago and right here in Phoenix at KPHO, the local CBS affiliate. She is the recipient of a 2011 George Foster Peabody Award and a 2012 Edward R. Murrow Award and lives in Southern California.