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This article discusses the execution of Michael Lee King on March 18, 2025 (the current date), for the 2008 rape, kidnapping, and murder of Denise Amber Lee, including details of the crime, the 911 failure, the trial, and the execution itself. It is intended for educational purposes only, to document a case that led to significant legislative change in Florida (the Denise Amber Lee Act) and to highlight issues of public safety, victim advocacy, and the death penalty process. It does not glorify violence, execution, or any aspect of the crime.
The Execution of Michael Lee King – The Grisly Murder of Denise Amber Lee and the Unanswered 911 Call
Mugshot of Frank Atwood, an inmate on death row.
The Crime – January 17, 2008
On January 17, 2008, 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee, a married mother of two young sons (ages 2 and 1 month), was abducted from her home in North Port, Florida. Michael Lee King, then 38, broke into the house while Denise was inside with her children. He bound her, raped her, and took her away in his 1994 green Chevrolet Camaro.
During the abduction, Denise managed to reach King’s cellphone and dial 911. In the chilling call (later played in court), she could be heard begging for her life and pleading to see her family again. The call was routed to a 911 center but was never properly handled or dispatched—a catastrophic failure that became the central focus of the case.
King drove to his cousin’s house to borrow a flashlight, shovel, and gas can. While Denise waited, bound in the car, she made additional attempts to get help, but none succeeded. Later that day, King shot her directly in the face and buried her in a shallow grave in a remote wooded area of North Port.
Denise Amber Lee smiling while holding her two children
King was arrested the same day after a state trooper recognized his green Camaro from a description given by a 911 caller who heard screams coming from the car at a traffic light. The caller initially thought it was a possible child abduction. Denise’s hair and personal belongings were later found in King’s home and vehicle.
The Trial and Conviction
King’s trial was swift. In 2009, he was convicted of:
First-degree murderSexual batteryKidnappingBurglary with assault
The jury recommended the death penalty, and the judge sentenced him to death. The case exposed major flaws in Florida’s 911 system, including inadequate training, poor call routing, and lack of protocols for escalating emergency calls.
The Denise Amber Lee Act and Legacy
The tragedy directly led to the Denise Amber Lee Act (passed in 2009), which mandates:
Enhanced training for 911 operatorsBetter call-tracking technologyImproved protocols for handling calls involving possible abductions or violence
Denise’s husband, Nathan Lee, founded the Denise Amber Lee Foundation to advocate for public safety, 911 reform, and support for victims’ families. The foundation continues to work nationwide.
The Execution – March 18, 2025
A man giving a presentation with a large image of two people smiling behind him, and a smaller display to his left showing event and foundation information.
On March 18, 2025, Michael Lee King, age 54, was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Raiford. He was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m.
King’s last statement included a reference to finding Jesus in prison and trying to live by the Two Great Commandments (love God and love your neighbor), but he did not apologize or ask for forgiveness from Denise’s family.Witnesses from Denise’s family—including her father Richard Goff, her husband Nathan Lee, and her eldest son Noah Lee—watched the execution. They wore pink shirts (Denise’s favorite color) as a symbol of remembrance.
Richard Goff called Denise a hero and criticized King’s lack of remorse: “If you can’t say something from your heart, don’t say it.”
Noah Lee, who was 2 years old when his mother was killed, said he still feels her loss every day, even though he never had the chance to know her or be raised by her.
King is the fourth person executed in Florida in 2025.
Lethal injection gurney with restraints in a stark room with a clock showing 30703.
The murder of Denise Amber Lee was horrific in itself—abducted from her home, raped, shot in the face, and buried alive—but the failure of the 911 call made the tragedy even more devastating. That single unanswered call became a catalyst for statewide reform and a lasting legacy through the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. Michael Lee King’s execution on March 18, 2025, closed a painful chapter for the Lee family, though the loss of Denise remains a daily reality for her husband, sons, and father.
Her story is a reminder of how one preventable failure in the public safety system can have irreversible consequences—and how one family turned unimaginable grief into nationwide change.
Sources:
Florida Department of Corrections – Execution records and statements (March 18, 2025).
Court documents: State of Florida v. Michael Lee King (Sarasota County, 2008–2009).
Denise Amber Lee Foundation official website and public statements.
The Herald-Tribune (Sarasota), Tampa Bay Times, and Associated Press – trial and execution coverage (2008–2025).
Florida Legislature – Denise Amber Lee Act (2009).
Family interviews: Nathan Lee, Richard Goff, Noah Lee (various media outlets, 2008–2025).