1
00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:06,600
Speaker 1: Hey there, everybody. Welcome to Amy and TJ Presents the

2
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:12,039
Speaker 1: Michael King Execution. We are talking about Florida's fourth execution

3
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:15,960
Speaker 1: this year, but it's more about the crime that led

4
00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:20,280
Speaker 1: to the execution that has everyone talking, that has changed

5
00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,160
Speaker 1: laws and certainly saved lives. And with that, everyone, welcome

6
00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:27,680
Speaker 1: to this episode of Amy and TJ Presents. I'm Amy

7
00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:33,160
Speaker 1: Roeboch alongside TJ Holmes. Michael King pronounced dead at six

8
00:00:33,560 --> 00:00:40,480
Speaker 1: thirteen pm Eastern Time this past Tuesday. That was March seventeenth,

9
00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,240
Speaker 1: and the execution chamber was full.

10
00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is It's always fascinating to see who does

11
00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:50,960
Speaker 2: show up for these things. So oftentimes I do take

12
00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,960
Speaker 2: not years, not just a couple of decades sometime, but

13
00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,840
Speaker 2: in some cases several, three or four decades. A lot

14
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:02,080
Speaker 2: of family, friends, colleagues are gone. So it's it is,

15
00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,240
Speaker 2: it's I don't know. There's something very heartening and it

16
00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:10,320
Speaker 2: sounds about an execution. It's sweet that family members wanted

17
00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,600
Speaker 2: to see it through after sometimes decades. So yeah, this

18
00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,240
Speaker 2: said a lot about who the person was.

19
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,160
Speaker 1: Yes, and in this case the victim, we should mention

20
00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,600
Speaker 1: twenty one year old Denise amber Lee. She was already

21
00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:25,360
Speaker 1: the mom of two, She had a two year old,

22
00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,800
Speaker 1: she had a six month old. We'll get into the

23
00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,560
Speaker 1: crime and why that crime made national headlines, but it

24
00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,840
Speaker 1: was and I say, just eighteen years ago that this

25
00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:38,280
Speaker 1: crime happened. And I say that because when we often

26
00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,520
Speaker 1: talk about executions and inmates on death row finally getting

27
00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:47,000
Speaker 1: that execution date, sometimes we're talking three decades, even four decades.

28
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:52,560
Speaker 1: So this is actually a relatively quick from prosecution and

29
00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,000
Speaker 1: sentencing to actual execution. Just seventeen years actually.

30
00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:58,920
Speaker 2: Shortest one we've covered in the past two years without

31
00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:03,560
Speaker 2: not even close. This eighteen years is lightning fast compared

32
00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:04,600
Speaker 2: to the ones we've covered.

33
00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,040
Speaker 1: Yes, and so this might also speak to the reason

34
00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,799
Speaker 1: why so many people were able to be in that

35
00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:16,040
Speaker 1: execution chamber. We mentioned Denise Amberley was the victim. Her father,

36
00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,720
Speaker 1: her mother, her siblings, her husband, and her oldest child

37
00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:22,840
Speaker 1: I mentioned he was two at the time, so he

38
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,800
Speaker 1: was twenty at the time of the execution. Were all

39
00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:29,240
Speaker 1: there to see Michael King executed. And look, we talk

40
00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:33,359
Speaker 1: a lot about every execution is different, and it's interesting

41
00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:37,800
Speaker 1: the last several we've covered, Babe, the inmates have had

42
00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,440
Speaker 1: not just a few final words but actually fairly significant

43
00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,800
Speaker 1: final words. And this is not necessarily the norm.

44
00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,960
Speaker 2: Now, oh no, it's we call them a morbid fascination.

45
00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:55,239
Speaker 2: But final meal and final words were always interested to hear,

46
00:02:56,240 --> 00:02:58,240
Speaker 2: and I swear all last year and we covered a

47
00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,919
Speaker 2: lot robes. There was some that said, no, I've got

48
00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,800
Speaker 2: nothing to say. I have that said one quick little

49
00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,639
Speaker 2: word or two. But man, when it seems real, when

50
00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,440
Speaker 2: they have something to say, they say.

51
00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:10,240
Speaker 1: A lot exactly.

52
00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,200
Speaker 3: It's either this, it's his feast or family.

53
00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:14,679
Speaker 1: Yes, and a lot of times, and at least it's

54
00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,320
Speaker 1: been wonderful to report those moments. We've had a few

55
00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,600
Speaker 1: recently where the inmates have offered an apology, have given

56
00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,000
Speaker 1: some sort of closure or peace to the family. So

57
00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,520
Speaker 1: in this case, Michael King did have quite a bit

58
00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,880
Speaker 1: to say, but he did not offer an apology, and

59
00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:36,320
Speaker 1: according to Denise's family, he's never even acknowledged that he

60
00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:38,800
Speaker 1: committed this crime. But I'm going to read for you

61
00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,840
Speaker 1: his final words and let you take what you will

62
00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:47,000
Speaker 1: from them. Since finding Jesus in prison, I have tried

63
00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,600
Speaker 1: to live as his disciple, obeying the two great commandments

64
00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,880
Speaker 1: to love God with all my heart, my mind, and

65
00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,360
Speaker 1: all my being, and to love my neighbor, to include everyone,

66
00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,520
Speaker 1: my family, Denise Lee's family, everyone in the gallery, as

67
00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,520
Speaker 1: well as the Catholic volunteers who visit the prison and

68
00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:09,160
Speaker 1: those on the team to end my life. What do

69
00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:09,640
Speaker 1: you make of that?

70
00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:15,200
Speaker 2: No, there are it matters. I take them at their word.

71
00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,560
Speaker 2: We have heard families say that hearing words at the

72
00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:24,080
Speaker 2: end of asking for forgiveness or taking responsibility have made

73
00:04:24,080 --> 00:04:25,920
Speaker 2: a difference in how they can go about the rest

74
00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:26,600
Speaker 2: of their lives.

75
00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,160
Speaker 1: But he chose not to, even saying he's a disciple

76
00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,400
Speaker 1: of Christ and talked about how he found God, he

77
00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,520
Speaker 1: didn't offer that apology.

78
00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:35,039
Speaker 2: I don't know what it meant to him at the

79
00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,200
Speaker 2: end where his head was at the end of his life.

80
00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:38,760
Speaker 2: What he was thinking at the end of his life,

81
00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:39,479
Speaker 2: I do not know.

82
00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:41,440
Speaker 3: But he didn't offer that.

83
00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,640
Speaker 2: Does that and I would say, yes, it does mean

84
00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:47,440
Speaker 2: something to the family because previous families have said so.

85
00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,400
Speaker 1: I agree, and I you know, we can only imagine, thankfully,

86
00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:53,560
Speaker 1: we can only imagine what it would be like. And

87
00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,599
Speaker 1: even though obviously nothing brings back your loved one, nothing

88
00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,720
Speaker 1: undoes the harm or the hurt. But there is a

89
00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:02,880
Speaker 1: sense of peace if you feel like at least someone

90
00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:07,479
Speaker 1: has atoned for their sins, acknowledged their sins, apologized for

91
00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,800
Speaker 1: their sins. Denise's family didn't get that, and interestingly, we

92
00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:14,920
Speaker 1: have some reactions. Some of the local press who was

93
00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:19,040
Speaker 1: there interviewed some of the family members. The first the

94
00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,760
Speaker 1: first response from one of the family members, no remorse,

95
00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:27,440
Speaker 1: didn't apologize, didn't ask for forgiveness, and just really showed

96
00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:29,040
Speaker 1: the true coward that he is.

97
00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,520
Speaker 3: The why right isn't that always the thing?

98
00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:32,719
Speaker 1: Like?

99
00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,880
Speaker 3: Why? Why? Why? Why?

100
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:40,280
Speaker 2: And they didn't and we'll never get some answers that

101
00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,239
Speaker 2: I don't know. It's been the eighteen years, been almost

102
00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:46,880
Speaker 2: twenty years, but it does. I can't remember the one

103
00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,839
Speaker 2: from was it this year? It was this year, I

104
00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:54,440
Speaker 2: can't remember what. But the family said it meant everything.

105
00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:55,599
Speaker 1: It was just last week.

106
00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,920
Speaker 2: It meant everything to them to hear him say I'm sorry,

107
00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,760
Speaker 2: can you forgive me? Right before he died. It meant everything, man.

108
00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,680
Speaker 2: And so to go in there, I don't know, ropes,

109
00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,279
Speaker 2: they were already in the place. It almost feels like

110
00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,400
Speaker 2: it stings even more to go in there for that

111
00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,719
Speaker 2: and still not get it right.

112
00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,880
Speaker 1: That's what expectations, I'm sure they were lowered and look

113
00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,080
Speaker 1: her now. Twenty year old son, who was two at

114
00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,960
Speaker 1: the time of his mom's death, said, I unfortunately didn't

115
00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:27,640
Speaker 1: get the opportunity to know her and be raised by her,

116
00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,720
Speaker 1: because I know he picked a great mom. And I

117
00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:32,480
Speaker 1: think when he says he he's referring to God and

118
00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:36,400
Speaker 1: Michael had other plans. Now her husband, Nathan, and we

119
00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,880
Speaker 1: will get into his devotion to his wife. I mean

120
00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,720
Speaker 1: they were young when they fell in love, young when

121
00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:44,919
Speaker 1: they got married, and young when they had two kids.

122
00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,080
Speaker 1: And he is still literally devoted every day of his

123
00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:52,120
Speaker 1: life to honoring her and making sure as best he can.

124
00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,599
Speaker 1: This doesn't happen to anyone else. But I love what

125
00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:58,599
Speaker 1: he had to say. He said, finally it's over, this

126
00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,479
Speaker 1: chapter is closed. I'm just super blessed that I got

127
00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,560
Speaker 1: to know Denise, let alone marry her and have two

128
00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,599
Speaker 1: amazing kids with her. I'm glad this day is done

129
00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,440
Speaker 1: and now we can focus on what we've been focusing

130
00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,800
Speaker 1: on for the last eighteen years, and that's moving forward

131
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,480
Speaker 1: and trying to bring positive change to nine one one

132
00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,000
Speaker 1: and other things. I just I thought that was beautiful

133
00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,720
Speaker 1: and it shows you know, for look, I am I

134
00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:27,000
Speaker 1: think I've said this before. I am personally against the

135
00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:32,280
Speaker 1: death penalty. That's just my own personal belief. But I

136
00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,360
Speaker 1: understand that I don't know what it's like to be

137
00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:41,640
Speaker 1: in this man's shoes and to hear him describe the relief.

138
00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:42,840
Speaker 1: I understand that.

139
00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,640
Speaker 2: Well, you say relief at least it being over. I

140
00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,600
Speaker 2: don't know how they felt along the way or a

141
00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,160
Speaker 2: trial that they really really wanted the death penalty.

142
00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:52,640
Speaker 3: But rogue.

143
00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:56,080
Speaker 2: It's always there's a penalty that has been put in

144
00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,800
Speaker 2: place and you've been waiting eighteen years for it to

145
00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,480
Speaker 2: be actually implement it. I mean, that's it's almost a

146
00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,080
Speaker 2: magic Can you imagine if somebody been sentenced to life

147
00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,720
Speaker 2: in prison but their sentence didn't start for ten years,

148
00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,119
Speaker 2: it didn't feel right. That's no one that we're talking about.

149
00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,680
Speaker 2: This doesn't feel right. So if this is the punishment,

150
00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,040
Speaker 2: let's get this over with and done. The number of

151
00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:21,960
Speaker 2: appeals and court hearings and parole hearings and all this

152
00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,280
Speaker 2: stuff they've had to show up to to keep an

153
00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,400
Speaker 2: eye on, to get a phone call from the prosecutor's

154
00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:30,120
Speaker 2: office saying, hey, just letting you know this is going on,

155
00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:32,319
Speaker 2: and this is the next step where he's filed this appeal.

156
00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:33,719
Speaker 3: It's exhausting.

157
00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:37,000
Speaker 1: You make a good point. If someone is just actually

158
00:08:37,160 --> 00:08:40,560
Speaker 1: sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole done,

159
00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:46,000
Speaker 1: it's done. There's nothing more. There might be an appeal one,

160
00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,960
Speaker 1: maybe two, you're not going to be going through the

161
00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,840
Speaker 1: lengthy judicial process you have to go through to actually

162
00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:56,920
Speaker 1: follow up and have an execution take place. Thus, the

163
00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,719
Speaker 1: thirty forty years sometimes it takes to actually see that

164
00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:06,000
Speaker 1: sentence be carried out. Look, and also just speaking to

165
00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,480
Speaker 1: all of this, isn't it interesting what her father had

166
00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,120
Speaker 1: to say. He's going to burn in hell as he should.

167
00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,760
Speaker 1: You know, you just the anger is still there and

168
00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,040
Speaker 1: we haven't even gotten into Some of you may already

169
00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:21,880
Speaker 1: know this crime, but we're going to get into what

170
00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:26,760
Speaker 1: this crime was, what Michael King was convicted of, and

171
00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:31,880
Speaker 1: the remarkable, incredible silver lining that came from the death

172
00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:44,240
Speaker 1: of this young mother. When we come back and welcome

173
00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:48,920
Speaker 1: back everyone to Amy and TJ presents the Michael King execution.

174
00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,080
Speaker 1: It's interesting we talked about I guess we led with

175
00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:56,520
Speaker 1: the latest, but the greatest part of this story is

176
00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:58,839
Speaker 1: how it all began. The latest was that Michael King

177
00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:03,600
Speaker 1: was executed. Yes, on Tuesday, March seventeenth at six thirteen pm.

178
00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:07,920
Speaker 1: We told you the family's reaction of Denise Lee, but

179
00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,760
Speaker 1: we didn't tell you about Denise Lee and what happened

180
00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:16,520
Speaker 1: to her eighteen years ago on the afternoon of January seventeenth,

181
00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:17,520
Speaker 1: two thousand and eight.

182
00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,319
Speaker 2: La, he's a damn hero, like she's a she's actually

183
00:10:22,480 --> 00:10:23,840
Speaker 2: and you told me you're going to get into it,

184
00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:27,240
Speaker 2: but just tell me because I would remember her who

185
00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:27,959
Speaker 2: was a member law.

186
00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,200
Speaker 1: Her father was a member of the Sheriff's departy.

187
00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:33,600
Speaker 2: That sounds right, Todd his daughter, Well, ain't that crazy?

188
00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:35,360
Speaker 1: This actually makes you emotional.

189
00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:37,920
Speaker 3: I can say he taught his daughter.

190
00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,400
Speaker 1: He talked about the conviction of his daughter's killer, and

191
00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:46,360
Speaker 1: he said, my daughter knew forensics. She knew if she

192
00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,360
Speaker 1: was going to die or if anything was going to

193
00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,800
Speaker 1: happen to her, she was going to bread crumb for

194
00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:53,840
Speaker 1: my investigators to find her killer. And he said she

195
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,079
Speaker 1: left her hair and took her ring off and left

196
00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:00,839
Speaker 1: it like hid it in his vehicle, so that when

197
00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:05,000
Speaker 1: they finally found his vehicle, they were able to get

198
00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,160
Speaker 1: that direct forensic evidence that you almost never have, at

199
00:11:08,200 --> 00:11:10,560
Speaker 1: least in the recent court cases we've seen to have

200
00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,400
Speaker 1: that direct evidence that she was in that vehicle, no

201
00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,079
Speaker 1: question about it. And part of that came out in trial.

202
00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,800
Speaker 1: He said, I'm proud of my daughter. I taught her. Well,

203
00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:24,640
Speaker 1: she was twenty one. That's crazy, twenty one years old.

204
00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,760
Speaker 1: And yes, it was a beautiful afternoon in Florida, in

205
00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:33,439
Speaker 1: just a gorgeous time of day. She had her sons again,

206
00:11:33,960 --> 00:11:36,760
Speaker 1: two years old and six months old. She was cutting

207
00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:39,000
Speaker 1: their hair on the porch. You know, she didn't want

208
00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:41,400
Speaker 1: to probably get hair in the house, so she had

209
00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:43,520
Speaker 1: him out on the front porch right when Michael King

210
00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:48,560
Speaker 1: was canvassing the neighborhood looking for a victim, and he

211
00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,360
Speaker 1: got her at gunpoint, put the kids inside, locked the door,

212
00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,240
Speaker 1: took her at gunpoint into his car, tied her up,

213
00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:01,559
Speaker 1: raped her, and was driving her around. He was actually

214
00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:06,120
Speaker 1: driving to go find a shovel at a friend's house

215
00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,720
Speaker 1: to actually basically kill her and get rid of her body.

216
00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,240
Speaker 1: When she was able while she was tied up to

217
00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,800
Speaker 1: get his phone, and she called.

218
00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:20,280
Speaker 3: Nine one one. No, this story is impressed, No, please quiet.

219
00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,680
Speaker 1: She was on the phone with nine one one for

220
00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:27,720
Speaker 1: six minutes, and what she told the nine one one

221
00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,560
Speaker 1: operator was just so compelling, so it's so hard to

222
00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:37,400
Speaker 1: understand how she wasn't found. She said, please, my name

223
00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,360
Speaker 1: is Denise, I'm married to a beautiful husband, and I

224
00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:42,920
Speaker 1: just want to see my kids again. I just want

225
00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,559
Speaker 1: to see my family. Then you can hear Michael King

226
00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:48,440
Speaker 1: back in the car. She was able to keep the

227
00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:51,600
Speaker 1: phone on and connected, and you can hear her say

228
00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,400
Speaker 1: please let me go. She starts screaming, God help me,

229
00:12:55,120 --> 00:13:00,360
Speaker 1: and then the dispatcher just kept saying hello thirteen times. Somehow,

230
00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,559
Speaker 1: for some reason, this dispatcher did not put in the information,

231
00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,920
Speaker 1: did not get policed her because while this nine one

232
00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,400
Speaker 1: call was happening, her husband had come home found his

233
00:13:11,520 --> 00:13:14,760
Speaker 1: kids in the house. He called nine one one, so

234
00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,680
Speaker 1: the search was already on. And then nine one one

235
00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:22,080
Speaker 1: gets more phone calls from more drivers who see her.

236
00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:28,200
Speaker 2: You get this is tough, Robes the phone call she

237
00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:32,520
Speaker 2: made to think that she had enough time. The line

238
00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:36,760
Speaker 2: was open that long. And I'm sorry if you don't

239
00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,960
Speaker 2: know this, but from the moment like, what's the gap

240
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:44,000
Speaker 2: in time of first nine to one one call to

241
00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:50,560
Speaker 2: potential her demise Robes, there's a long stretch of time

242
00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:52,079
Speaker 2: that transpired.

243
00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:55,680
Speaker 1: Yes, so her husband got home within an hour of

244
00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,559
Speaker 1: her being abducted. She called within four hours of being

245
00:13:59,600 --> 00:14:04,200
Speaker 1: abducted did and then two drivers who saw her heard

246
00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:08,000
Speaker 1: her screaming and saw her hands like pounding on the

247
00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,400
Speaker 1: backseat of the car, calling im on. One of them

248
00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:14,079
Speaker 1: was on the phone with operators for nine minutes, telling

249
00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,120
Speaker 1: them where they were, a description of the car, what

250
00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:21,120
Speaker 1: they were saying. It is mind boggling that none of

251
00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,640
Speaker 1: these nine one operators who took these independent calls collaborated

252
00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,840
Speaker 1: with one another or put it into a system that

253
00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,840
Speaker 1: made it all connected that could have put officers all

254
00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:36,600
Speaker 1: in the same location. So there actually was reform that

255
00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:39,160
Speaker 1: took place after this, because, by the way, police didn't

256
00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,000
Speaker 1: find her body until two days later. She was shot

257
00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:44,120
Speaker 1: in the face.

258
00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:52,120
Speaker 2: To Robes, yes that it's too bad that she that

259
00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,960
Speaker 2: this had that this happened at all, But my goodness,

260
00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,280
Speaker 2: what a legacy she has left in the horror of

261
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:04,320
Speaker 2: her death, had the fortitude to, yes, leave clues behind

262
00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,480
Speaker 2: if you will. But also Robes, her death is not in.

263
00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:12,280
Speaker 1: Vain No, because her family sued the county. They were

264
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,760
Speaker 1: awarded one point two million dollars and you know what

265
00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,880
Speaker 1: they did With that money, they founded the Denise amber

266
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,160
Speaker 1: Lee Foundation to improve nine to one one training and accountability,

267
00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:26,600
Speaker 1: not just there in their county, in their state, but nationwide.

268
00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:30,080
Speaker 1: And by the way, they did that privately for this

269
00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:33,800
Speaker 1: foundation that Nathan, her husband, still runs to this day.

270
00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:39,040
Speaker 1: But also lawmakers passed the Denise amber Lee Act. It

271
00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:41,840
Speaker 1: was signed just a few months after her murder into

272
00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,240
Speaker 1: law that requires nine one one operators to have two

273
00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:49,920
Speaker 1: hundred hours of training. That's incredible, that's impressive.

274
00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:51,400
Speaker 2: You know, and it's cool to hear. It's one of

275
00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,400
Speaker 2: those things we kind of take for granted, right you

276
00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,360
Speaker 2: call nine to one, you expect people to show up,

277
00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,120
Speaker 2: You expect people to know what they're doing. And we

278
00:15:58,200 --> 00:16:00,640
Speaker 2: have covered a lot of trials at of late to

279
00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,160
Speaker 2: where we hear nine to one one calls and we

280
00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:07,360
Speaker 2: have commented that's really impressive the job many of them

281
00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,680
Speaker 2: do when the person on the other line is screaming, yelling, panicked,

282
00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,400
Speaker 2: in otherwise having the worst day of their lives. So

283
00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,520
Speaker 2: I guess Roves, I just I have. I've always taken

284
00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:23,960
Speaker 2: it for granted, and apparently there were shortcomings in some places,

285
00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,880
Speaker 2: and this woman's death, she contributed to a change I mean,

286
00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:29,640
Speaker 2: that's a hell of a legacy. And the law was

287
00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:31,320
Speaker 2: named after her saying yes, yes.

288
00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:33,880
Speaker 1: The Denise Amberlee Act. And her father even said that

289
00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,600
Speaker 1: they've received phone calls. This is actually talk about making

290
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:40,800
Speaker 1: you feel emotional that they have received phone calls from

291
00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,720
Speaker 1: families all around the country who have said thank you,

292
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:47,480
Speaker 1: because if you hadn't had this act in place, my

293
00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:52,360
Speaker 1: daughter wouldn't have survived. Like they actually have specific instances

294
00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:56,440
Speaker 1: where they can point to the training that these operators

295
00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:58,640
Speaker 1: received that they wouldn't have done otherwise had they not

296
00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,360
Speaker 1: had this act in place, They had not had this

297
00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:06,640
Speaker 1: foundation in place to improve how nationwide nine one one

298
00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,040
Speaker 1: operators do their jobs. And thankfully, you know what, I've realized,

299
00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:13,040
Speaker 1: I've never had to call nine one one. That's that's

300
00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,960
Speaker 1: a I was just thinking, like, what an incredible blessing

301
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,320
Speaker 1: that is I've had. We've all had different things happen

302
00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,560
Speaker 1: in our lives, but I have never had to call

303
00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:22,000
Speaker 1: nine one one in my life.

304
00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:23,480
Speaker 2: Have you? I don't think it was a single time.

305
00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,680
Speaker 2: I don't think I have, and that I talked to

306
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,760
Speaker 2: a nine one one operator, No, I don't think so.

307
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,680
Speaker 1: But it is incredible to know that there's someone there

308
00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,000
Speaker 1: on the other end who has been trained specifically because

309
00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:38,080
Speaker 1: of what happened in this case eighteen years ago, and

310
00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,639
Speaker 1: so I know her family may not have gotten the

311
00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,680
Speaker 1: apology they wanted or the accountability they wanted, but there

312
00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:47,679
Speaker 1: is a sense of justice and peace and finality, and

313
00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:52,520
Speaker 1: certainly the legacy of Denise Lee lives on. And with that, everyone,

314
00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:54,760
Speaker 1: thank you for listening to us. We always appreciate you.

315
00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,920
Speaker 1: Here on Amy and TJ Presents, I'm Amy Robock alongside TJ. Holmes.

316
00:17:59,359 --> 00:17:59,879
Speaker 1: We'll talk to you