STARK — A Florida man convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a young mother will be executed Tuesday.
Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection at the Florida State Prison near Stark beginning at 6 p.m. King was sentenced to death in 2009 for first-degree murder, sexual assault 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. Kim kidnapped Lee and left her children alone at home.
Investigators say King took Lee to his home, where he bound and raped her. Later that day, King drove to his cousin’s house and borrowed a flashlight, shovel and gas can, according to prosecutors. While Lee was tied up in King’s car, she managed to get hold of King’s cellphone and called 911. She can be heard in a recording of the call begging for her life so she could see her husband and children again.
Authorities say King eventually took Lee to a remote area in North Port, where he shot her in the face and buried her. A short time later, a state trooper pulled King over because his green 1994 Chevrolet Camaro matched the description from another 911 call. A woman stopped at a traffic light heard screams coming from her car and reported a possible child abduction to police.
Investigators later recovered Lee’s hair and belongings from King’s home and vehicle, authorities said.
Months after her death, the Legislature unanimously passed the Dennis Amber Lee Act to provide better training for 911 operators. The Dennis Amber Lee Foundation continues to promote training and public awareness nationwide.
Last week, the Florida Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by King, whose attorneys argued that corrections officials mismanaged the state’s death penalty protocol and that he was denied due process by not being able to access certain records.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected King’s final appeal without comment.
King’s execution is the fourth scheduled for 2026 in Florida, following a record 19 executions last year. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year carried out more executions than any governor in Florida since he reinstated the death penalty in 1976.
In 2025, a total of 47 people were executed in the United States. Florida topped the list, with Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second, with five executions each.
Florida plans two more executions this year. James Aren Duckett, 68, will die on March 31, and Chadwick Scott Willacy, 58, will die on April 21.
All executions in Florida are carried out by lethal injection, using sedatives, paralytics and heart-stopping drugs, according to the Department of Corrections.
