{"id":195653,"date":"2026-03-18T00:11:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T00:11:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/195653\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T00:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T00:11:13","slug":"florida-man-executed-for-killing-a-young-mom-who-had-frantically-called-911-seeking-help","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/195653\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida man executed for killing a young mom who had frantically called 911 seeking help"},"content":{"rendered":"

STARKE, Fla. (AP) – A Florida man was executed<\/a> Tuesday evening for killing a young mother who had managed to dial 911 from her attacker\u2019s cellphone while tied up in his car.<\/p>\n

Michael Lee King, 54, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He had been convicted of first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping in the 2008 killing of Denise Amber Lee, 21.<\/p>\n

The curtain to the execution chamber went up immediately at 6:00 p.m., the scheduled execution time, and King gave a statement about a minute later.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince finding Jesus in prison, I have tried to live as His disciple obeying the two great commandments: To love God with all my heart, my mind and all my being, and to love my neighbor \u2014 to include everyone \u2014 my family, Denise Lee\u2019s family, everyone in the gallery,\u201d he said in nearly inaudible words relayed by the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis.<\/p>\n

King did not apologize or ask for forgiveness in his statement. Meanwhile, a clergy member was at the foot of the gurney beside him.<\/p>\n

As the drugs flowed, King began breathing heavily, his arms shaking and body twitching. All movement ceased a few minutes later, and the warden shook King and yelled his name, but there was no response. A medic was subsequently called in, and King was pronounced dead.<\/p>\n

Court records show the victim was outside her North Port home on Jan. 17, 2008, with her two sons \u2014 a toddler and an infant \u2014 when King drove by, spotted her, and later abducted her while leaving the children home alone.<\/p>\n

King took Lee to his home, where he bound and raped her, investigators said. Later that day, King drove to his cousin\u2019s house to borrow a flashlight, shovel and gas can, according to prosecutors. While Lee was bound in King\u2019s car, she managed to get King\u2019s cellphone and frantically called 911, records showed. She can be heard on a recording of the call begging for her life so that she could see her husband and children again.<\/p>\n

King eventually drove Lee to a remote area of North Port, a community in southwest Florida, where he shot her in the face and buried her, authorities said. A state trooper pulled King over a short time later because his 1994 green Chevrolet Camaro matched the description of another 911 caller. A woman had heard screams coming from the vehicle while stopped at a traffic light and had called police to report a possible child abduction.<\/p>\n

Investigators later recovered Lee\u2019s hair and belongings from King\u2019s home and vehicle, authorities said.<\/p>\n

Months after the killing, the Florida Legislature unanimously passed the Denise Amber Lee Act, which provides better training for 911 operators. The Denise Amber Lee Foundation, created by the woman\u2019s husband Nathan Lee, continues to promote training and raise public awareness nationwide.<\/p>\n

The foundation said that besides the victim\u2019s 911 call, at least four other 911 calls were made the day of her abduction, including one from her husband and others who saw parts of the crime unfolding \u2014 but that communication failures and other issues prevented help from being sent.<\/p>\n

Last week, the Florida Supreme Court denied appeals filed by King, whose attorneys argued that corrections officials had mismanaged the state\u2019s death penalty protocols and that he was denied due process by not having access to certain records.<\/p>\n

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected King\u2019s final appeals without comment Monday.<\/p>\n

King\u2019s execution was the fourth this year in Florida and the seventh overall in 2026 including two executions in Texas and one in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

Two more Florida executions are scheduled this year. James Aren Duckett, a former police officer convicted of killing an 11-year-old girl, is set to die March 31, and Chadwick Scott Willacy on April 21 for killing a neighbor who found him burglarizing her home during her lunch break from work.<\/p>\n

A total of 47 people<\/a> were executed in the U.S. in 2025 including a record 19 executions last year<\/a> in Florida.<\/p>\n

All Florida executions are carried out via the injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.<\/p>\n

To keep up with the latest news as it develops, follow WCTV on Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, Nextdoor<\/a> <\/a>and X<\/a> (Twitter<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Have a news tip or see an error? Write to us here<\/a>. Please include the article\u2019s headline in your message.<\/p>\n

Be the first to see all the biggest headlines by downloading the WCTV News app. Click here<\/a> to get started.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 WCTV. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n