A Florida man convicted of a 2008 kidnapping, r–e, and murder of a young mother, Denise Amber Lee, who made a final 911 call for help during her abduction has been executed in the presence of the victim’s husband, Nathan Lee, her children, and other family members.
54-year-old Michael King Lee was declared dead at 6:30 pm at the Florida State Prison near Starke after a three-drug lethal injection. He had been sentenced for the killing of 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee.
Michael’s legal team tried to file several appeals, arguing issues with the state’s execution procedures and access to records. These were repeatedly rejected by both the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
While lethal injection has been a common execution method in the country since 1976, resistance from drug manufacturers to provide the drugs in large quantities has led some states, like South Carolina, to allow alternative methods if injections are unavailable.
View this post on Instagram
Minutes before the execution, Michael King Lee gave a barely audible final statement referencing God but did not ask for forgiveness or offer any apology.
“Since 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 to include everyone — my family, Denise Lee’s family, everyone in the gallery.”
According to The Independent, a clergy member stood beside him as the procedure was carried out in accordance with all the state protocols in place.
Nathan Lee said, “I’m just super blessed that I got to know Denise, let alone marry her and have two amazing kids with her,” While Amber Lee’s father, Richard Goff, pointed out how Michael lacked remorse.
“If you can’t say something from your heart, don’t say it,” Goff said as he remembered her brave personality.
View this post on Instagram
Court recorders revealed that Michael King Lee committed the brutal crime on January 17, 2008. The 21-year-old woman was reportedly killed in her North Port home with her two sons. Michael saw her while driving past her house and later kidnapped her.
Prosecutors claim the crime was carefully planned. Michael first drove to his cousin’s house and borrowed a flashlight, shovel, and gas can, and then picked her up from the residence, leaving the children alone. Investigators said he then took her to his home, where she was bound and s–ually assaulted.
According to WUSF, while Denise Amber Lee was trapped in Michael’s car, she managed to grab his cell phone and dial 911, crying and pleading for her life and asking to be returned to her children and husband.
Michael drove her to a remote area in North Port where he shot her and buried her with the shovel. He was stopped shortly after by a state trooper when his vehicle matched descriptions from another 911 call reporting screams from the car.
View this post on Instagram
However, the police were unable to help her because of a connection failure and incomplete information. Evidence, including Amber Lee’s hair and belongings, was later recovered from his home and car. After the tragic death of the 21- year old, Florida lawmakers passed the Denise Amber Lee Act, which encourages better training methods for 911 operators.
Today, the Denise Amber Lee Foundation, established by her husband Nathan Lee, continues to advocate for better emergency response systems and public awareness nationwide. They aim to show that an attentive response can save a life in danger.
Michael King Lee’s execution in Florida this year was the seventh in the US in 2026. Two more executions are scheduled in the state in the coming weeks. In 2025, 47 executions were carried out nationwide, including a record 19 in Florida.
