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Shock jock upset over radio caller's slaying claim
November 8, 2006

By NICK MARTIN
TRIBUNE

It’s the call he wishes never came in.

Nationally syndicated radio shock jock Tom Leykis took a call on his live show Friday from a woman who claimed she was from Ahwatukee Foothills and had shot and killed the father of her child.

Publication info
This story originally ran Nov. 8, 2006 in the East Valley Tribune in Arizona.

Since then, Phoenix police have contacted the producers of the "Tom Leykis Show," asking for more information. And Leykis’ audience has been abuzz.

"I would rather this call didn’t come in and this didn’t happen," Leykis said in an interview Tuesday night. "I hope that this ... is just a hoax and she’s just a bad prank caller."

But prank caller or true confessor -- Leykis thinks it's the latter -- his audience has responded. Callers nationwide have chimed in during this week's shows, which can be heard locally on KZON (101.5 FM), saying they think it’s a prank, or thinking they recognize the woman’s voice.

A message board on Leykis' Web site has exploded with similar comments. Leykis has denied he's part of a hoax. His producers are turning over any tips to Phoenix police, he said.

The show has also posted online an MP3 file of the woman’s call. On the recording, the woman, who Leykis says gave only her middle name "Sue" or "Susan," tells about a one-night stand that produced a child years ago. The father would not pay child support, she said.

"I went over and tried to talk to him just about doing some under-the-table money," Sue said on air. "He wouldn’t listen, so I shot him."

"You shot him?" Leykis said.

"Oh yes, I did."

"You shot him dead?"

"I did."

All the while, the sounds of hooting and booing echoed from the background.

Leykis was broadcasting from a Portland, Ore., bar and his audience was spitting ire at the woman.

Sue went on to say she was never arrested because she lied to police. Leykis told her he would use her phone number to turn her in. "They’ve got your confession on tape," Leykis said. "You just confessed." To that, Sue replied: "But people call up and make stories all the time, Tom." Seconds later, the line went dead. The bar crowd cheered.

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