“(We’re) making sure this doesn’t happen to another family”, says Nathan Lee, husband of Denise Lee who was kidnapped, raped, and murdered in Florida last year. Nathan was talking to Good Morning America. Nathan Lee has sued the authorities for mishandling the emergency call which gave them information about the incident.
Last year, Denise Lee, a mother of two was kidnapped and raped and was later murdered in Florida. Jane Kowalski, who witnessed the incident made a call to 911 emergency room in panic, but the staff at the emergency center never relayed the information to the police. Jane called 911 and told then that there was something suspicious going on in the car next to her. The staff says that they were confused at the information which they received and hence didn’t communicate it to the police. Denise’ husband Nathan believes that had they took a timely action her wife would not be murdered. ‘Denise would still be here today if that call had been dispatched and there is no doubt in my mind about it’ says Nathan who has filed a suit against Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Cameron.
Nathan Lee’s attorney Patrick Boyle says that Lee has filed a suit against Cameron accusing him and his employees of showing negligence in the kidnapping case of his wife, Denise Lee, and hence contributing to her death.
Lee says that the law suit is not for money, but to make reforms of 911. He said we all have to have confidence in 911 systems in order to depend on it; moreover he said everyone will have to call 911 emergency at some point in their life.
Denise was kidnapped by Michael King, an unemployed plumber living in the same community. When Nathan reached home, he found Denise’ keys and phone but she herself was missing. Nathan made a phone call to 911 to report the case. According to police, they did receive a phone call from Denise too who got hold of the kidnapper’s cell phone and made a call to 911. She told them her location but when the police attacked the place they got to know that King had already taken her to another place. She was then seen by Jane Kowalski who heard screams from a nearby car. She made a call to 911 too who made her hold for nine minutes. But the call center never dispatched the information to the police. Lee was found dead three days later three miles away from where Jane saw her. The police called it a ‘missed opportunity’ as they were so close to the location where Jane saw Denise.
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