Overview
- Michael Lee King, 54, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. Tuesday following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.
- Sentenced to death in 2009 for first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping, he was executed after the Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts rejected his final appeals.
- Denise Amber Lee, 21, was abducted from her North Port home in 2008, managed to call 911 from her attacker’s phone while bound, and was later found murdered.
- Multiple emergency calls tied to the crime were not properly relayed to officers, prompting scrutiny of dispatch practices.
- The case led to the Denise Amber Lee Act establishing statewide 911 operator training standards and a foundation that continues advocacy; her husband, father and eldest son witnessed the execution, and King offered no apology.