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April 11, 2008 - Husband of Slain Woman Blames 911 Operators

The husband of a 21-year-old mother of two who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered plans to sue the Charlotte County sheriff's office in Florida  over mishandled 911 calls about his wife's kidnapping. Nathan Lee blames 911 operators' negligence for contributing to the death of his wife, Denise Lee. 

Some of the calls to 911 were made by Lee herself. The call in question in Lee's case was made by a woman who  said she saw a child screaming and pounding on a car window. The child she described was actually Lee. The 911 operators did not send deputies to the location to look for the kidnapper's car until a half hour after the call was made, however. Two 911 workers have been suspended as a result of the incident.

Lee died of a gunshot wound to the head. Her body was found two days after the kidnapping. Lee's kidnapper, Michael King, an unemployed plumber, has been taken into custody and charged with her murder. Lee's husband says he's not suing because of money, but he wants to ensure that Charlotte County 911 operators undergo proper training in order to be able to better handle 911 calls in the future.

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