Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Life On The Line’ of ABC’s ’20/20: Life On The Line,’ the primary focus is on the abduction and murder of a 21-year-old mother of two named Denise Amber Lee, who went missing from her rented house in North Port, Florida. While the detectives searched for her across the city, they received 911 calls from eyewitnesses who claimed to have heard a woman screaming for help inside a car. Although they managed to capture the perpetrator within hours, it was too late.
Denise Amber Lee’s Remains Were Discovered Two Days After Her Disappearance
Denise Amber Goff Lee was born on August 6, 1986, in Englewood, Florida, to a loving couple, Susan and Richard “Rick” Goff. Her father was a sergeant in the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. She grew up alongside her brother, Tyler, and sister, Amanda, and the three siblings shared a close-knit bond. While she was a student at Lemon Bay High School, she crossed paths with Nathan “Nate” Alan Lee at a community college. Although she had adopted a few academic courses while he was pursuing higher studies, they managed to find their way to each other. Soon, Denise and Nathan fell head over heels in love. In 2004, Denise graduated from high school with a Magna Cum Laude distinction.
As the relationship between Denise and Nathan blossomed, the latter soon proposed marriage to her, and they got engaged. On August 20, 2005, they tied the knot at First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda, Florida, and made their relationship official in the presence of their loved ones. In the following years, Denise gave birth to two adorable children, Noah Alan (born 2006) and Adam Michael (born 2007). As a doting mother, she put off pursuing her college degree to focus on raising them. Meanwhile, Nathan juggled three jobs to provide for the family with a stable life. They lived in a rented apartment in North Port, Florida, which was in close proximity to each of their parents’ houses.
The 21-year-old mother of two was looking forward to raising her children with her devoted husband when tragedy struck. On January 17, 2008, when Nathan returned home from work around 3:30 pm, he couldn’t find his wife anywhere while their sons were in the same crib. Panic-stricken, he dialed 911 and reported the situation to the authorities. As the investigators were searching for the missing woman, they received multiple calls from witnesses claiming to have heard a woman’s screams from a car in different areas of North Port. Two days later, on January 19, 2008, they found her remains in a shallow grave in a wooded area near her house. The autopsy revealed that the cause of Denise’s death was a single gunshot wound to the head.
Denise Amber Lee’s Killer Was Apprehended a Few Hours After the Abduction
In order to locate the whereabouts of Denise Amber Lee after her abduction, the authorities interviewed a few neighbors and potential witnesses in the area. One of them claimed that they saw a car arrive at her house around 2 pm that afternoon. A few other witnesses claimed to have seen or heard a woman scream inside a car. Upon further investigation, the police discovered that the vehicle in question was a dark green 1994 Chevrolet Camaro, belonging to a man named Michael Lee King. According to reports, Michael was the one who abducted Denise from her home in North Port, Florida, on January 17, 2008, tied her up, and drove her to his cousin’s house not far away. Somehow, she managed to dial 911 from her abductor’s phone and indicate that she was held against her will by someone she didn’t know personally.
During the phone call, she also begged for her life over a dozen times. Since the call was made through Michael’s prepaid wireless phone, the authorities could not trace her location. He then proceeded to rape her in his house before shooting her to death. Later, the police found multiple pieces of evidence in the room, including the duct tape used to tie her up. After the murder, Michael borrowed a gas can, a shovel, and a flashlight and took her remains to a wooded area near her house. He dug a shallow grave and buried her remains. Just a while later, around 9:15 pm that same night, the authorities arrested Michael King. His green Camaro and house had traces of blood and semen, and hair belonging to Denise, linking him to the gruesome crime. Thus, on February 6, he was officially indicted on one count of first-degree murder for killing the 21-year-old mother.
Michael King is Still on Death Row Today
More than one and a half years after the killing, Michael King’s murder trial began on August 24, 2009. During the trial, the prosecution presented several incriminating pieces of evidence discovered in his car, his house, and the grave site that connected him to the murder. Multiple witnesses were also called to testify to hearing Denise struggle inside the defendant’s car on the fateful day. On the other hand, the defense attempted to establish a reasonable doubt that the defendant was responsible for the crime.
They presented evidence of tampering and contamination, and also tried shifting the blame to one of Michael’s friends. After a week-long trial, the jury deliberated for about two hours before reaching a final verdict. On August 28, Michael King was convicted of first-degree murder, kidnapping with intent to commit a felony, and sexual battery. Consequently, on September 4, 2009, he was sentenced to the death penalty. As of today, the 54-year-old killer is on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.
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