TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a death warrant on Friday for Michael King, a man condemned for the 2008 murder of Denise Amber Lee, a crime that intensified scrutiny on the training of emergency dispatchers in the state. King, 54, is set to face execution by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on March 17, marking the fourth such warrant signed by DeSantis this year.
The death warrant detailed the harrowing events of January 17, 2008, when King, a plumber, abducted Lee, then 21, from her home in North Port. Lee, a mother of two and the daughter of a local sheriff’s sergeant, was taken to King’s residence where she was assaulted. Within an hour, as King drove to a relative’s house to acquire tools, Lee managed to grab his phone and call 911, pleading for assistance while begging to see her family again.
Despite at least four 911 calls regarding the abduction, including one from a woman who trailed King’s vehicle and provided dispatchers with updates, law enforcement officers did not respond in time to save Lee. Tragically, King later shot her and buried her in a secluded area. In 2009, he was convicted of kidnapping, sexual battery, and first-degree murder.
The aftermath of Lee’s murder prompted the enactment of the “Denise Amber Lee Act” in 2010, designed to enhance the training standards for 911 operators in Florida. This legislation established requirements for the certification of emergency dispatchers, mandating a minimum of 208 hours of training. The law also requires applicants to affirm under oath that they do not suffer from substance abuse issues.
Prior to the enactment of this law, 911 centers had the autonomy to establish their own training procedures, resulting in inconsistencies in the preparedness of emergency staff. This disparity became a focal point of criticism following Lee’s case, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive training.
In a letter accompanying the death warrant, Attorney General James Uthmeier noted that in 2012, the Florida Supreme Court upheld King’s convictions and death sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court later declined to hear his case, concluding a long saga of unsuccessful appeals in both state and federal courts.
Florida has been active in carrying out capital punishment in recent years, executing a modern-era record of 19 individuals in 2025. Earlier this week, Ronald Heath, 64, was executed for the 1989 murder of Michael Sheridan. DeSantis has also greenlit execution warrants for two more individuals: Melvin Trotter, scheduled for February 24, and Billy Leon Kearse, set for March 3. Trotter was sentenced for the murder of Virgie Langford in 1986, while Kearse was convicted of killing Fort Pierce police officer Danny Parrish during a traffic stop in 1991.