Florida executed Michael Lee King on Tuesday for the abduction, rape, and murder of young mother Denise Amber Lee in January 2008. According to multiple reports, King was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.
Key Takeaways
Michael Lee King was executed in Florida for the 2008 abduction, rape, and murder of Denise Amber Lee. The case led to reforms in 911 training.
- Michael Lee King received lethal injection at Florida State Prison
- Convicted of first-degree murder, sexual battery, and kidnapping in 2009
- Victim Denise Amber Lee made a desperate 911 call while abducted
- Case led to the Denise Amber Lee Act improving 911 operator training
King, now 54 years old, was convicted in 2009 of first-degree murder, sexual battery, and kidnapping. The crime occurred when Lee, just 21 years old with two young sons, was outside her North Port home. King abducted her while she was trimming her toddler's hair on the back porch.
During his abduction of Lee, King took her to his home where he bound and raped her. Later that day, while borrowing tools from a relative with Lee still tied up in his vehicle, she managed to call 911 using King's cellphone. The recording of this call reveals Lee begging for her life so she could see her children again.
King ultimately shot Lee in the face and buried her body. He was pulled over shortly after by a state trooper due to his vehicle matching descriptions from other 911 calls about screams coming from it. Investigators found Lee's hair and belongings in King's home and car.
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