Jennifer Johnson isn't the only Florida resident to call 911 while being kidnapped. She shares an unfortunate, yet similar fate with Denise Amber Lee. Denise Amber Lee was kidnapped on January 17, 2008 from her home in North Port. Denise was 21 years and the mother of two sons, Noah and Adam.
January 17, 2008 started as any other day. Her husband, Nathan, left for work, and Denise, a stay at home mom, was left home with the children. She last spoke to her husband at approximately 11:00 A.M., yet that wasn’t the last phone conversation that Denise Amber Lee participated in that day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t with her husband. Nathan had continually tried to reach Denise Amber Lee, calling her several times at approximately 3:00 P.M. He would never speak with her again.
When Nathan Lee arrived home from work at 3:30 P.M., he found both Noah and Adam home alone, yet there was no sign of Denise. Searching the home, Nathan found Denise’s purse and her cell phone; he called 911. This would be the first 911 call made in the Denise Amber Lee case.
In what seems to be little more than a miracle, Denise Amber Lee managed to obtain her kidnapper’s cell phone. She called 911 at approximately 6:14 P.M. and managed to stay on the phone for nearly six and a half minutes. Denise’s wasn’t the last 911-phone call to be made that fateful day.
A neighbor of Denise Amber Lee’s saw a green Camaro drive up and down their street. At approximately 2:30 P.M., she reported seeing that same green Camaro pull into the driveway of Denise Amber Lee’s home. When Denise Amber Lee called 911, they were able to determine that the cell phone she used belonged to Michael Lee King. When police discovered the name of the kidnapper, they went to his residence, however there was no sign of Michael or Denise, yet they did find a piece of duct tape that still had long strands of brown hair attached to it. Then, Michael Lee King did a very disturbing thing. He went to his cousin’s home.
Michael King arrived at his cousin’s home, Harold Muxlow, and asked to borrow two items: a can of gasoline and a shovel. While there, Harold saw Denise Amber Lee in the back seat of the green Camaro, struggling and pleading for help. She screamed for Harold to call police, he didn’t and Michael Lee King drove away with a shovel, a gas can, and a panicked Denise Amber Lee, who was still screaming and begging for her life. Harold Muxlow did, however, tell his 17-year-old daughter about what he had seen, and Sabrina Muxlow decided to call 911. The call was received at approximately 6:23 P.M.
There was one more 911 call to be made on behalf of Denise Amber Lee, that fateful night of January 17, 2008. A Tampa based computer consultant, Jane Kowalski, just happened to have her window rolled down while driving U.S. 41 that evening. She happened to stop at a red light, where Michael Lee King pulled his camaro alongside hers. She heard loud noises coming from the car, and was startled to hear the screams of the passenger in the back seat of the car. Jane Kowalski witnessed Denise Amber Lee’s last cries for help. She looked at her and thought that she was a child, however, she did look directly at Michael Lee King and called 911 somewhere between 6:30 and 6:40 P.M.
Due to a dispatcher mix-up, the report of Jane’s 911 call was never relayed to officers who were currently in the area, searching for Denise Amber Lee. Police in the area never knew that the camaro was in their vicinity, even though they were utilizing a helicopter search, dog search, and ground search. The question remains today, “Would Denise Amber Lee have been saved, if the 911 dispatchers notified the police to look for the camaro?” Denise Amber Lee’s body was located nude and in the fetal position within three miles of the very spot where Janet Kowalski made the final 911 call. Denise Amber Lee had been sexually assaulted and shot in the head.
Michael Lee King is currently awaiting trial that is scheduled to begin in August 2009. His defense attorney is trying to have evidence against him dismissed by stating that it was legally obtained. Click to read more about the case against Michael Lee King.
Listen to Jane Kowalski’s 911 Phone Call here
Denise Amber Lee's husband, Nathan, speaks with Dr. Phil regarding the 911 call.
Denise Amber Lee Case: State of Florida vs. Michael King Court documents and 911 calls (Video)
Trial underway in Denise Amber Lee case: Michael King charged with kidnapping, rape and murder video
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Comments
First, I want to send out my thoughts and prayers to the family of Denise. This is such a sad outcome. I can't immagine how I would feel, my worst nightmare is to loose a child. To know this could've been stopped on several occations just bothers me! The fact that the calls were made, shows people felt a threat was in action. The dispatchers and officers seem to have been slacking in this situation. If, in fact, the officers did not read King his Miranda rights, he could actually get away with kidnapping, rape, and murder. If that is the case, I pray the jury will be able to see the obvious. I would hate to see this evil creature be released back into society. He diserves 10,000x all of the pain, suffering, and heartache that he has given Denise Amber Lee and her loved ones. He needs to die by death penalty. Who cares if he feels 5-7 minutes of pain. What pain did Denise go through? Hang him! Electricute him! Whatever it takes, get rid of him!!!!!!!
This person needs to die the same way that Denise did, tied up in the back of a car screaming for his life and then shot in the head and buried naked. An eye for an eye, what you do to murder someone should be done to you no matter how brutal the murder is. Dying by lethal injection is no justice for the murder that this person did, or any person for that matter. Did anything happen to the 911 operator(s) who handled these calls? They too should face some charges for not helping Denise, my goodness there were enough calls into 911 you would think that anyone of those people would have helped save Denise. There needs to be a centralized info center where all counties 911 calls are routed through so this NEVER happens again. My thoughts and prayers go out to Denise Lee and her family. Michael King deserves to be put to death, not by lethal injection but by a gun shot to the head.
I can't believe that this went on in this day and age...a 911, operator who did not know what to do or follow through to save this poor girl. I probably would have rammed his car and got out and waived people to help!! This poor girl had to suffer with terrible fear, rape, and murder. Knowing she would not see her beloved husband and children again. How sad!! Have we not worked for years to get operations in place to protect people from this!! What was wrong with the cousin who let him go with a screaming girl in his car?? He should be prosecuted too. Give Michael King the death penalty and make him suffer!!
This is the worst thing I have ever witnessed in my 27 years of life! How in the world could the police have been "looking for Michael King by ground and by helicopter" and not have received this information in enough time to save this girl's life?! Now her husband, her father, and her family are left to pick up the pieces of those children's lives - one day having to tell her how the justice system failed to save her, and that's the reason why they do not have their mother here today. He should hang, he should be electrocuted, but not enough to kill him...he should be taken out into the woods, stripped down, shot, and buried in the fetal position the same way Denise Amber Lee was! I firmly believe in an eye for an eye!!!! As long as people are able to get away with this horrific stuff they will continue to do it. I am disgusted with the system how many times has it failed now?!?!?!
My heart goes out to this woman's family, especially her children. Those baby boys will not only grow up without their mom. But one day they will learn of the horrible circumstances of their mom's death. Those baby boys deserve to have their mommy, and that MONSTER took her away from them. This story is so sad. Obviously something needs to change with the 9-1-1 system, because it failed this woman and her family. I have no doubt that the MONSTER, (and he is truly a MONSTER) that did this will be convicted. I can not imagine the evil necessary to be able to do something so horrible as what he did to this woman. May he suffer for eternity for what he did to this woman and for the life sentence of pain and loss her family and friends are enduring. Her family will have to live the rest of their lives without her, yet knowing what that MONSTER did to her. This story is just so heart breaking. God Bless Denise Lee's family and friends.
let the animal die a very slow and agonizing death. simply torture him to death. make it public on the internet. charge $10 for each viewing and donate the money to the kids. his cousin gets lobotomy. being as dumb and unconcerned as he was he doesnt use his brain at all anyways. (there is a crying and screaming woman in the back of my cousins car and he wants to borrow a shovel? i just let him) oh, forgot about the dispatcher. how does flogging sound? call me nuts, but i am a big fan of medieval style punishments in these cases. these 3 retarded animals are all responsible for a terrible death of mommy of two little kids and
Dial 9.1.1 and die! The system is a complete failure, and another Floridian John Walsch spends a career not mentioning the best answer, but rails against assault weapons.. A simple saturday night special pocket pistol, hardly bigger than a set of keys could've prevented this, simultaneously exterminating a sicko and saving million$ in prison costs: a 13 cent bullet, game over. Unfortunately, his got to her first.
Now, we must set an example: instant death for king by hanging (no "drop" allowed), then life in prison for his family members who failed and confiscate all their property for Denise' kid's college fund.
I may be judgemental, but these people that have unfriendly facial appearances are suspicious to me. The murderer looks like the devil & Denise's husband has facial expressions and facial hair that reeks with gang-like tattooing. Too bad the girl didn't get mixed with a better group of people. This is only a feeling, yet I feel her husband has a connection with the killer. Why did this killer pick her? Blaming the 911 operators is a copout.
The Killer should receive a hurried death sentence, after his brain has been thorough;y picked, and all his fellow gang/Satan followers are identified. Also, the relative who witnessed Denise must be punished for not reacting.
Denise failed to talk enough into the cellphone. Denise should have peeked around to see objects & bldgs to describe to the operators, and should have stated as many facts as possible about anything & everything around herself. She never said she was abducted! She should have said "I've been abducted." She cried & floundered, and confused the operators. She needed a course in fast thinking, because from what I've read a lot of other people have gotten out of much worse situations by thinking & doing the smart things. She seemed kinda apathetic.
911 isn't the same as Spiderman and Superman!! Complainers about 911 operators must learn more about the real world. First & foremost what can the vicitims do for themselves! All that money on cell phone service & it did no good--that's real world! She would be alive today if she's never had cellphone. Densie relied on it too much. The cellphone encumbered her mindset, she should have been in their fighting like a Tyson, but instead focused on cellphone call whimpering. The cellphone distracted her from the fight & she lost. Sad part is that the cellphone service cannot be sued or held partially liable!!
I would like to see the 911 operator explain to the husband that she was too lazy to help.. If i called 911 i would expect them to do everything they could to save me. Predators are everywhere and will try anything but that is why we have 911 for help. What happened to cell phone tracking? In todays society filled with rape, kidnapping and assaults 911 better get better prepared or people will take control themselves. If I see a struggling person or child I will follow the vehicle and not rely on 911. I am glad to see the husband has devoted his life now to making sure that 911 operators are better prepared. Kinda sad that they make 18.00 and hour or more and a greiving spouse has to teach them how to do their jobs.
Elwood:
Good job, blame the victim,her family friends and everyone else. But don't blame the killer.
You reasoning is illogical and makes no sense what so ever.
I have to agree that this poor young woman probably though that using the cellphone and getting the attention of others was enough. I believe that all those who murder or even commit a serious violent crime should be executed.
I have to agree that this poor young woman probably though that using the cellphone and getting the attention of others was enough. I believe that all those who murder or even commit a serious violent crime should be executed.
Sentencing is in! The piece of crap got the death penalty. I hope he rots in hell!
You know I have got say this is one of the sadest things I have ever read. My heart goes out to that family and those boys who have to live the rest of their lives without there mom. The fact that many 911 calls were made and nothing happened just is insane. Words can not express how wrong that is. As for michael king he should be forced to go through what he put this girl through. That should be the new law, to put these sickos through what they put there victims through! Who gives a flying hoop what pain this man will go through, he sure didn't think about her pain, or her kids pain, or her husbands pain. There pain is one that will NEVER go away.
Just what is a 'dispatcher mix-up???????' How is it this message was not instantly relayed to the proper authorities????!!!!! A LIFE could have been SAVED! I just don't get it - what do you think you DO 911 operators??? This is the most blatant act of apathy and INCOMPETANCE I've ever read. Her LIFE and BLOOD is on YOUR hands! Live with that you morons!
This man deserves to be tortured to death. There is nothing cruel and unusual about that punishment in his case.
This is the saddest story I have ever heard, and JUSTICE is not served by feeding and sheltering him on taxpayer money for a few years followed by a humane death.
I'm so sick of hearing stories of woman and children abducted and murdered. This poor woman's death could have been stopped if people would have done their job! The "cousin" should be in jail. It's sickening to think what this woman had to go through and what her family is going through!
Can anyone explain this to me like I'm a 4 year old? People were witnessing this and did nothing? Oh, they did their part-they called 911 and went about their day! They could have saved that young wife and mother. Had it been my husband, he would have busted the window out to save her. He saved a man from a severe beating, a man he did not know. He stepped in and put a stop to it! What is wrong with you people?
I think the people who witnessed it should go to jail because they did NOTHING! You people should be ashamed of yourselves! I hope you read this and then go into your bathroom and take a large handful of tylenol. If you're that callous, then you don't need to be here.
As a 911 Operator, it makes me sick to think there are dispatchers or call takers that would not do their job! The 911 employee who failed to enter this call into the computer also failed Denise and everyone she left behind. That employee should be charged with willful neglect and face the same penalty as the murderer. She is an absolute disgrace to those of us who do our jobs correctly!! How dare anyone blame this on Denise, the phone companies or any other lame scapegoat you may have!!
If you haven't een it you need to rent and watch "Law Abiding Citizen". The lead actor in this film (Gerard Butler) is living life happily and is married with a young daughter. He and his family are the victims of a horrible home invasion. He witnesses his wife being raped and stabbed to death and watches hekplessly as the intruder carries his baby girl away to another room and murders her. He survives, the killer gets off for blaming his partner and no one in the justice system will help him. Thus begins his revenge against the killer and the "system". I won't ruin the story, but Butler abducts the killer and saws his limbs off. That's the way it should be done in my opinion.
The "Dateline" portrayal of this crime aired last night. Absolutely awful. I feel they should have arrested the cousin as well for failure to report the kidnapping. It's obvious, if the King was asking for shovel and gas what his intentions were. Mere words can never express my frustration towards the 911 operator(s) who dropped the ball. I'm glad Nathan formed the foundation and. My heart goes out to the family. This just makes me sick.
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