Murder of Denise Amber Lee

Denise Amber Lee was murdered by Michael King in the U.S. state of Florida on January 17, 2008, after he had kidnapped and raped her earlier in the day.

Lee and several others had attempted to call for help through the 9-1-1 system but there was a lack of communication and the police and other emergency services arrived too late. Five 9-1-1 calls were made that day, including one by Lee herself from her abductor's phone and one from a witness, Jane Kowalski, who gave a detailed account of events as they unfolded before her. Failures were later found in the way the 9-1-1 operators handled Kowalski's call and further failures were later identified nationwide in the 9-1-1 system. King was sentenced to death.

The Denise Amber Lee Act was passed unanimously by the Florida Legislature on April 24, 2008. This act provides for voluntary training for 9-1-1 operatives. Lee's family continue to lobby for a new law to be passed which would institute mandatory training and certification for all 9-1-1 dispatchers. The Denise Amber Lee Foundation was established in June 2008 to promote such training as well as to raise public awareness of the issues involved.