1. News & Issues
About.com
Women's Issues

Discuss in my forum

Murder of Denise Lee - Young Mother Might Be Alive If Not For Botched 911 Calls

Victim & Witnesses Report Kidnapping, But Operators Fail to Act On Information

By , About.com Guide

Would 21-year-old wife and mother Denise Lee be alive today if 911 call center operators hadn't mishandled calls from the victim and eyewitnesses? When Denise Lee was kidnapped from her Florida home on January 17, 2008, she called 911 from a cell phone. And so did several witnesses who saw her screaming and banging on the windows of a green Camaro being driven by her abductor. But there was no follow-through, and two days later on January 19, 2008, Denise Lee was found raped and murdered.

Florida Mom Denise Lee Dead Because of 911 Incompetence

A heartbreaking tale of abduction, rape and murder didn't have to end with a young mother's death. Why did 911 call center operators fail to pass on critical information when kidnapping victim Denise Lee called them, pleading for help? For several minutes, operators spoke to Lee on the phone, and several eyewitnesses called 911 as well -- one who reported the location of Lee at the time. Yet authorities failed to act on the info, and that may have contributed to Lee's death.

Denise Lee's Murder and the Stories That Need To Be Told

For months there was little national media coverage of the tragic kidnapping of Denise Lee. During her abduction, even though several urgent calls were received by 911 operators from witnesses and from Denise herself, nothing was done. Then, in July 2009, ABC's PrimeTime: Crime covered her story, and women from all over responded to the horrific incident.

Despite a Murder Conviction, Mishandled 911 Calls Will Likely Lead to Lawsuit

Although defense attorneys attempted to block jurors from hearing the 911 calls from Denise Lee and a witness, both were played in the courtroom. Afterward, jurors deliberated for less than two hours and on August 28, 2009, they found Florida plumber Michael King guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Denise Lee. Despite the conviction, Lee's husband intends to pursue a lawsuit charging that the 911 call center's mishandling of the situation was a contributing factor in her death.

©2012 About.com. All rights reserved.

A part of The New York Times Company.