The Disappearance of the Detective’s Daughter | The Case of Denise Lee | UNSEEN

This 21-year-old mother vanished from her home in broad daylight. When police arrive at the scene, all they find are her two young children, alone and crying. They have no idea where she is or why she disappeared. But everything changes when 911 receives a disturbing call from the mother herself while being kidnapped. Trapped in her kidnapper's car, she's managed to steal his phone and dial 911 without his knowledge. On the call, she makes it seem like she's talking to the kidnapper, but in reality, she's giving crucial information to the dispatcher. But what the kidnapper doesn't know is that she's the daughter of a veteran agent trained to track fugitives, and she's doing exactly what her father told her to do in a situation like this. The kidnappers phone is a burner phone, so her father can't trace her exact location. Her only chance of survival is to gather information from the kidnapper before he realizes what she's doing. It's now up to her and her father to work together and leave more clues for him to follow, in the hope that he can stop whoever took her and find her before it's too late. Charlotte County, Florida, Sergeant Rick Gough met his wife, Susan, over 20 years ago, and together they've built their life in Charlotte County. "Working with a sheriff's office so long, I was considered the toughest person around and stuff. Since I worked on the cover so long I didn't care about anybody, and then I can remember when Denise was born. We took her to the Methodist Church for that daycare. I had to drop her off that day and I'm fighting back tears and stuff like this because she was that's my baby girl, you know." As the years go by, Rick watches Denise grow into a young woman, and before long, he witnesses her finding the love of her life, Nathan Lee. "Look at that cute face, what's up?" We started dating on January 19th, which Valentine's Day is almost a month after that. I was kind of getting nervous because I didn't know what to do. We found that ring with the heart on it, with the little stone in the middle of it. I know it doesn't sound very special or romantic, but that ring was more special than even her engagement ring." In 2005, a couple marries and sets off to begin a new life, buying a house in a nearby residential area. Three years later, Rick has become the proud grandfather of two boys, Noah, a two-year-old, and Adam, just six months. This now-January 17th, 2008, around 3.30 pm, Rick gets a phone call from his son-in-law, Nathan. He picks it up and immediately asks that they'd like to come over for dinner, but Nathan quickly cuts him off and says he's just gotten home and can't find Denise anywhere. "I opened the door and the first thing I noticed was the heat, like it was super hot inside. I walked over into the bedroom because Noah was crying, but Denise was, she's not there and I don't know where she is." Nathan said to kids with her by himself and I knew for a fact that Denise would never leave those kids in the house. "I knew something was wrong." Rick doesn't waste a second and rushes to his daughter's house. Nathan has already called 911 by the time Rick arrives at the house. Police officers are already talking to Nathan. Their tone makes it clear they see him as a suspect in his wife's disappearance. "And I understand it. You watch a lot of these types of shows and it's always the husband, but luckily Denise his dad arrived and that changed everything." As soon as the officers see Rick and realize that Nathan is his son-in-law, they immediately back off. They know Rick well from his long career as a respected cop and expert fugitive tracker and trust his judgment. "In law enforcement, she always think it's the husband or family member, but I knew Nathan didn't do anything to Denise. Nathan Denise lived out there by themselves with one neighbor. My first instinct, I wanted to go and interview the neighbor." While talking to the neighbor, she brings up something strange she had noticed around 2 p.m. She recounts seeing a green Camaro pull into Denise and Nathan's driveway, driven by a white man she had never seen before. "She goes when he pulled in the driveway, he kept staring at me, so I got scared and I ran inside of my house." His mission is now clear. Find the green Camaro. Rick immediately calls his own colleagues for backup. "Right away I called my team for support and they immediately gave me everything I needed. Helicopters, dogs." "I got a ball of two FHP-2, please, we're dark green Camaro." Petrocop's combed the area, desperately trying to locate the car described by the witness, while Rick stays glued to the radio, his entire community is on the case. In the neighboring county of Sarasota at 6.13 p.m., a 911 operator answers a disturbing call from a woman in distress. As soon as the operator understands that the caller has been kidnapped, she immediately tries to identify who the woman is. The operator is starting to catch on to the dangerous game being played. On the other end, the kidnapped woman has called 911 directly from her doctor's phone without his knowledge, and she's desperately trying to get across enough information to the operator before he figures out what she's secretly doing. Suddenly, the kidnapper catches on, he realizes where his phone is, and the phone call abruptly ends. The operator immediately reports the disturbing call to her superior, and they contact Rick, asking if he can confirm if the voice on the phone is his missing daughter, Denise. Hearing his daughter in distress on the phone is a devastating experience for a father, and Rick has been on the force long enough to recognize the terrible danger Denise is in, but his daughter is smart, and he's taught her everything she needs to know in the event of a situation like this one. Even though she was terrified, Denise cleverly disguised as many clues as she could into her conversation with her kidnapper while on the line with 911, she's doing exactly what she knows will help her father find where she is. But since the kidnapper's phone is a burner phone, they can't pinpoint her exact location. The clues she left on her 911 call are the only new leads they have to go on. After hearing Denise's call, Rick updates his family, including his wife and Nathan, about the situation at least they now know Denise is alive. Just then, another clue comes in from the Sarasota Sheriff's office. For a moment, Rick is elated, thinking perhaps they've found his daughter. Instead, he receives a recording of a different 911 call that came in at 6.22pm, just 10 minutes after Denise's from someone alleging to know the kidnapper's identity. I just got a call from my dad and his cousin came over his house, he borrowed a shovel in the gas tank, with a girl in the car and she was tied up and the girl got out of the car and my dad's cousin went and put her back in the car. What's the cousin's name? They finally have a name, Michael King, he matches the description from Denise's neighbor's witness statement, including the fact that he drives a green Camaro. Rick's first thought when Denise was kidnapped had been perhaps she was taken by someone connected to his job, a criminal seeking revenge, but Michael King's name means nothing to him. Michael King owns a house on Sardinia Avenue in Northport, Florida, a few minutes from Denise's house, with Rick in close contact, a raid squad rushes to King's house, but as soon as they arrive they're disturbed by what they find. As they enter the house, the blaring TV is the only sound they can hear, the volume is turned all the way up, echoing through the empty rooms, most of the furniture is gone, and trash is scattered everywhere. When they finally clear the house, they're devastated, Denise isn't there. But it's clear she had been in the house, perhaps even just minutes before. In the bedroom, the squad discovers a makeshift bed with a hair elastic hidden amongst the blankets, along with duct tape with long, light brown hairs attached, hair that looks very similar to Denise's Rick's Heart Sinks in his years on the Force, he knows at a change of location is a dangerous turning point. When a victim is moved, the chances of a live rescue begin dropping. If he doesn't find her in the next few hours, he might never see his daughter again. Not only that, but her children will lose their mother forever. Meanwhile, a 911 dispatcher in Charlotte County receives a call from a witness at 6.30 p.m. reporting a possible kidnapping. The woman tells the operator she's concerned after hearing screaming and banging coming from Camaro driving next to her. The caller asks if she should try to follow the car, but before clear instructions are given, the driver of the Camaro seemingly senses he's being followed and makes him maneuver to lose his tail. He blows through a red light. In an instant, the green Camaro disappears from sight. And it's at this moment, in the 911 center, that a crucial mistake is made. The operator passes on the caller's complaint, but there's a miscommunication. No officers are dispatched to the green Camaro's last known location and the rest of the team searching for Denise, including Rick, never hear about the call. Tragically, just like that, Denise vanishes into the night with her kidnapper. It's now 9.15 p.m., more than 6 hours since Denise was kidnapped and several hours since any of the previous 911 calls, Rick, his wife, Nathan and Denise's siblings are frantic. They have the kidnapper's name, they've found his house, where signs suggest someone had been held. They know his car, it's color, it's license plate, every detail. So how is Denise still nowhere to be found? Rick tirelessly continues his search for his daughter, exploring every possible avenue. All the while, he stays glued to his police radio, desperate for any kind of update. Suddenly, he hears something. A green Camaro has been spotted and highway troopers and sheriff's deputies are in pursuit. I heard on the radio how it would chase them till they're tired, so off that night I can tell you that. I'm sure Florida's a green Camaro, not stopped. Just following it. Tag is verified by FHB. He picks up the radio and listens closely as the arrest unfolds. Central all units, data files, FHB has a gig of stuff. My whole king is 1012. Female is. But suddenly, the radio goes silent and, just as Rick asks law enforcement on the scene for an update via his radio, he's cut off by devastating news. Michael King is alone in the car. Somehow Denise is still missing, and now the question remains if she's not with her kidnapper and where is she? Michael King is taken into custody. He's brought to the station and immediately placed in an interrogation room. Investigators expect that he will reveal Denise's location, clinging to the hope that she is still alive, instead, they're stunned when he tells a very different story, insisting that he was the one kidnapped, and that he too was a victim. Police don't buy his story, but Michael refuses to budge, sticking firmly to his version of events. Time, however, is running out and so investigators work with what they have and begin a thorough search of his car. They discover a heart-shaped ring in the back seat of the green Camaro. To confirm if the ring belongs to Denise, they call in Nathan and Rick. "The detective Morales called me and said there's a jewelry that was left in his vehicle that they needed me to identify to see if it was hers. I need you to go in and describe her jewelry. You had a hard necklace for the phone in it." Her wedding ring was white gold, and she also had a silver heart ring. "Is this her ring?" "Yes, the first ring I gave her, the first Valentine's Day." With the ring confirmed to be Denise's, police return to Michael and decide to play along, pretending to believe his story in hopes that he'll reveal more about Denise's whereabouts. "You're the only person right now that can tell us what happens. We need to find where she is and we need to know if I know from you what's going on." But Michael quickly senses the trap. "No, it's my turn." But with Michael requesting an attorney, the interrogation stops there. Detectives are no closer to finding Denise, and with every passing moment, the trail grows colder. Meanwhile, Rick and his family continue holding out hope that Denise could be found, still alive, but lost in a remote area, or maybe stranded on the side of the road somewhere. The community rallies around Rick and his family, with local deputies, law enforcement, and everyday civilians joining the search for Denise around the highways and forests nearby. It's now January 19th, just two days after Denise is kidnapping, when Rick gets a call from his team about a possible sign of Denise's whereabouts. "I want 37, I'll not call a key man," says Hey, we think we got a spot of interest. "You two bring their blood on down there." Their dogs are brought to the site, where they detect a patch of disturbed ground covered with sand, with possible traces of blood, perhaps Denise was injured, and somewhere nearby. However, as they search the surrounding area for any other sign of Denise, the blood hands remained fixated on the small patch of dirt, forced to finally acknowledge the tragic possibility that Denise may not be alive, authorities calling a unit to excavate the site, and what they discover is devastating. They find a body, and there is no doubt it is Denise Lee. "I heard on the radio, came in a couple hours later, those positive ideas on her, and I had to sit down, we had to tell our kids, and it's tough, it's heart-wrenching." Rick came home and said that they had found her. I said, "She's not a live issue," and he just shook his head, "No." "It's a tough thing to go through, no matter if it's your kid or anybody else's." August 24, 2009, it's time for Rick, Nathan, and the rest of the family to finally face Michael King in court. Michael is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery. Unfortunately, he pleads not guilty to all charges. The family is forced to go to trial against Michael King to get justice for Denise, and though Denise's family knows exactly who is responsible for the crime, the jury will have to be convinced of his guilt, too. King's defense is strong, drawing attention to the gaps in the prosecution's case, including the lack of a murder weapon. As the trial proceeds, including testimony from the 911 caller who allegedly witnessed the kidnapping from her car, the same witness who's called tragically never-reached Rick and his team conducting the search. "A hand came up from the back seat and was banging on the window very loudly." "Are you able to show the jury?" "Even more than that, I mean it was very loud." Unfortunately, her credibility is diminished by the defense upon cross-examination, throwing her ability to positively identify King into question. There's also doubts raised about circumstantial evidence found in King's car, including a mud-covered shovel and gas tank, referenced in that second 911 call where Rick and his team learned Michael King's name. Even though King was arrested, covered in mud, and Denise's body was found buried, there's not enough of a connection there to impress a jury. The trial is difficult for Denise's family as they hear more about the facts of the case. Then, the family is forced to relive Denise's harrowing ordeal as her 911 call is played for the jury. "We say it is, we say it is, we say it's a matter of you, but I just want to see my sister-gatherer." Her distress echoes through the courtroom, sending chills through everyone present, but in spite of Denise's tear, her secret call serves as powerful evidence against King. The jury hears Michael King's voice in the background, not only that, but they also hear her brave attempt to give the 911 operator clues as to whereabouts. In fact, what King never counted on is that Denise, even from beyond the grave, was never going to allow him to get away with her kidnapping and murder. "We had an abundance of evidence, and a lot of that was from Denise herself." At every turn, Denise left evidence to help the prosecution build their case. First, her heart-shaped ring in the car, the one she knew Nathan would immediately recognize. She left her hair elastic and her hair behind on the duct tape found in King's bedroom. "It was clever. She hit her ring in the back seat, because she knew she wasn't going to be found probably. She poured hair out by the roots and stuck them under the back seat. She knew about DNA hadn't had the roots and stuff." "Denise thought like a cop. She had the presence of buying to take that ring off, put it in the car. She gave us evidence knowing that we would find that car, and we know that she was in that car." Men and defends having presented their cases, the decision now rests with the jury. After two hours of deliberation, they returned to the courtroom with a verdict. With the jury find as follows as to count one of the indictment, the defendant is guilty of murdering the first degree as charged. Michael King is sentenced to death for his crimes. A sense of relief spreads across the room. The family is in tears. Denise's efforts succeeded in catching her killer and ensuring he would never hurt anyone else ever again. I knew, okay, you know, Denise won, you know? Denise won. She's absolutely hero. She took this murder off the street and made sure we had plenty of evidence and there's no doubt in anybody's mind that he's a killer. On behalf of my son's knowing Adam, I don't like to thank everybody so much. Denise was my soulmate. I'm going to miss her so much. I don't know how I'm going to go through the rest of my life without her. And after Michael sentencing, Rick, Nathan, and Denise's family, saddened by their laws, but proud of Denise's strength, want to ensure something like this will never happen again. Rick and his family believe that if the kidnapping witness's misfiled call had been properly dispatched, Denise could have been saved. Instead, the miscommunication meant that Rick and his team never even knew about the sighting until it was too late. I wanted people that need mistakes to be held accountable. It is the share of responsibility to provide the best public safety that they possibly can to their citizens and Denise wasn't given the best public safety to their citizens. Their efforts led to meaningful change. We had cars on the road waiting to apprehend the guy where she was at, but they never dispatched the car. I'm going to have for my daughter like see this bill passed. They helped pass the Denise Amber Lee Act, which establishes new statewide standards for 9-1-1 operators, requiring them to complete more than 200 hours of training. Nathan also takes on a mission on his own, and starts the Denise Amber Lee Foundation. He travels all over the country sharing Denise's story with 9-1-1 emergency operators. Denise's story can change things. That was my cope, my coping, that was my medicine, that was my way of getting through this was seeing Denise make a difference. Denise's sister, Amanda, decides to become a 9-1-1 dispatcher in her sister's honor, determined to make a meaningful change in her everyday life. To this day, she remains dedicated to the profession. Denise's children, Noah and Adam, now young adults, carry their mother's story with pride. And finally, years later, Nathan is able to recover something deeply meaningful, a precious reminder of his wife. Now that all of King's appeals are done and everything is over, we don't need this evidence anymore. And I was very happy to be able to release that to him. There it is. This is the ring that she has. Yeah, this is special. I'm really glad I got this back, and you know, I was really excited to show it to the boys, and that was the first thing they said was like, wow, she had really swaffing her. I always write her name in the clay before I read that. It's like, no, that she's there with me. I always say she sacrificed herself to make sure we were safe. We came first. We're a part of her, and I feel like people hearing from us can kind of see how important she was, how amazing she was.