Michael King sentenced to death

SARASOTA - The anguished voice of Denise Amber Lee haunted her killer even as he was sentenced to death.

"It is most extraordinary and extremely rare that one can hear such emotions in the voice of an innocent victim who is doomed to be murdered," Judge Deno Economou observed in justifying the state's harshest penalty for Michael King.

The young Northport mother of two was abducted from her home January 17, 2008 while her infant and toddler slept in the same crib. King drove her to his home, sexually assaulted her for several hours, then drove her to a remote area to shoot her and bury the body.

"His vehicle, in essence, became a hearse carrying its victim to the intended grave site," Judge Economou said.

Somehow Denise Lee got King's cell phone and called 911. For several minutes, she relayed what information she could and pleaded for mercy. She also left her wedding ring in King's car as evidence she had been there.

"There is no question that this case was won because of Denise, and that the death penalty was because of Denise," said prosecutor Lon Arend.

King is also sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual assault and life imprisonment for kidnapping. But the family awaits the ultimate penalty.

"Now we just can't wait for the day that the state of Florida decides to put a piece of trash to death," said Rick Goff, Denise Lee's father. "If we have to be there in a wheelchair to do it, we're going to be up there."