Florida man convicted of raping and killing a young mother is set for execution

Audio By Carbonatix

STARKE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man convicted of abducting, raping and murdering a young mother is set to be executed Tuesday.

Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. King was sentenced to death in 2009 after being convicted of first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping.

According to court records, 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee was outside her North Port home with her two sons — a toddler and an infant — in January 2008 when King drove by and spotted her. King abducted Lee, leaving her children alone in the house.

King took Lee to his home, where he bound and raped her, investigators said. Later that day, King drove to his cousin's house to borrow a flashlight, shovel and gas can, according to prosecutors. While Lee was bound in King's car, she managed to get King's cellphone and call 911. She can be heard on a recording of the call begging for her life so that she can see her husband and children again.

King eventually drove Lee to a remote area of North Port, 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 call. A woman had heard screams coming from the vehicle while stopped at a traffic light and called police to report a possible child abduction.

Investigators later recovered Lee's hair and belongings from King's home and vehicle, authorities said.

Several months after her death, the Legislature unanimously passed the Denise Amber Lee Act, which provides better training for 911 operators. The Denise Amber Lee Foundation continues to promote training and raise public awareness nationwide.

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

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected King's final appeals Monday without comment.

King's execution is Florida’s fourth scheduled for 2026, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions last year — a record 19 — than any Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way, while Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second-most, with five each.

Two more Florida executions are scheduled for this year. James Aren Duckett, 68, is set to die on March 31, and Chadwick Scott Willacy, 58, is set to died April 21.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection using a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.