At 6:13 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Michael King, 54, was lethally injected at the Florida State Prison in Raiford. With his death, Florida now has four executions in less than three months so far in 2026, consolidating its position as the state with the highest number of executions in the United States under the Ron DeSantis administration.
King was convicted of the 2008 kidnapping, rape and murder of Denise Amber Lee, a case that shocked the nation not only for its cruelty, but for the systemic failures that prevented the victim from being saved.
A crime that left orphans and changed laws
Nearly 20 years after Denise Amber Lee’s murder, Florida is set to execute her killer, Michael King. https://t.co/y86ZPkxZEs
– FOX 35 Orlando (@fox35orlando) March 17, 2026
The Amber Lee case is painfully remembered in Sarasota County.
While the abduction was taking place, the woman’s children, just two years and six months old, were left abandoned in their cribs.
Although both the victim and several witnesses managed to call 911, a series of communication errors and poor protocols caused the police to arrive too late.
This tragic outcome prompted the creation of ‘Amber Lee’s Law’, which now mandates rigorous training for emergency services operators in Florida, seeking to ensure that no other distress calls are lost in the system.
Florida: The epicenter of the death penalty
HAPPENING TONIGHT | Michael King, the man found guilty in the 2008 murder of Sarasota County mother Denise Amber Lee, is set to be executed Tuesday evening. https://t.co/aGEbQ71mdf pic.twitter.com/bhJN4XUEbs
– 10 Tampa Bay News (@10TampaBay) March 17, 2026
King’s execution is the 32nd since DeSantis took office in 2019. The pace is dizzying:
In 2025, Florida set a record with 19 executions.
So far in 2026, the state has carried out four of the seven total U.S. executions.
Two more are already scheduled for the coming weeks: child serial killer James Aren Duckett (March 31) and Chadwick Willacy (April 21).
Florida executes Michael King
Michael Lee King looked disgusting – fat, breathing heavily, and twitching – while being executed. Very, very disrespectful. pic.twitter.com/KbwQIrwcE1
– Midwestern Americanist (@TheMidwesternA1) March 17, 2026
Despite the nature of the crime, organizations such as the Catholic Mobilizing Network tried to stop King’s execution, arguing that a blow to the head during his childhood caused severe mental problems.
“It is urgent to raise our voices against this spate of death,” they declared, calling for life imprisonment instead of lethal injection.
As Florida revs up its execution machinery, other states such as Alabama have shown signs of leniency in recent cases, marking a profound contrast in the application of justice in the country.
Filed under: Florida executes Michael King
