Flash: Denise Lee Killer Found Guilty

After just two hours of deliberation, a Sarasota County (Fla.) jury has found Michael King guilty of the kidnap, rape and murder of Denise Lee last January. King faces the death penalty in the case, which raised questions about how dispatchers at two sheriff’s comm centers handled 911 calls and other communications related to the incident. The jury heard one week of testimony, although the defense presented no evidence. The prosecutor presented forensic evidence from King’s car, witness testimony and two 911 calls to make the murder case. Lee’s husband Nathan has said through a spokesperson that he intends to file a civil lawsuit next month, presumably against the sheriff’s offices and dispatchers. Nathan Lee and Lee’s father, Rick Goff, have been advocating for mandatory, standardized training for Florida dispatchers. They have recently expanded their efforts to include dispatchers nationwide.