North Port woman's family awaits execution of her killer

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. —

Rick Goff, the father of Denise Amber Lee, is determined to see her killer, Michael King, put to death as he copes with the loss of his daughter, who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and murdered in North Port.

"He's going to, you know, burn in hell like he should do. That's my feelings. And he's never reached out, you know, to the family. And he still says he never did anything," Goff said.

Goff, a dedicated detective with over 42 years of experience, shared the emotional toll of losing his daughter, stating, "She's the first thing you think of in the morning, the last thing you sleep, think of when you go to bed, and you always think of her. Everything reminds me, especially when you see Noah, he looks like her."

Denise was a loving mother to her two sons, Noah and Adam, whom she saved from King when he broke into her home in 2008.

Standing on Latour Avenue, where Denise was kidnapped from her North Port home, the reporter noted that her 911 call for help was not enough to save her. Now, her family could see her killer executed next month. Denise's sons, Noah and Adam, are channeling their grief into purpose, using their love for sports as an outlet. Noah expressed his anger over his mother's absence during significant moments, saying, "Senior night, I mean, specifically, I was upset, you know, it's a big moment. My mom's not going to be there to enjoy it. And, I played the best game of my life."

Noah understands the pain of losing a parent and shared his perspective, "It sucks now. It'll be better later. If you lost a parent. You're never going to get over it. But at least try to make them proud." He also conveyed his feelings about his mother's killer, stating, "I'm happy that he's receiving the full extent of the law, and I'm excited."

Michael King is scheduled to face the death penalty on March 17, and Rick Goff said he wouldn't miss it.

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