By John Davis, Sarasota Herald Tribune
Original publication date: May 6, 2011

More than three years after his 21-year-old wife was abducted and murdered, Nathan Lee stood Thursday before a group of strangers in North Dakota to tell his story.

He spoke about flaws in the 911 system, miscommunication, a lack of standardized training and the need to do better. The 911 professionals in North Dakota were the latest of what will be many more people to experience Lee’s personal mission to change the emergency call system nationally.

His wife, Denise Lee, was abducted from their North Port home by unemployed plumber Michael King and subsequently killed in a random attack that, despite multiple calls to 911 during the abduction, was not stopped. One witness gave an operator what turned out to be King’s precise location shortly before the murder, but the information was not passed to the proper deputies.

The case led to reforms in Florida, and, in March, Arkansas passed a law making standardized training available for 911 operators statewide. At the time, public officials said Arkansas was trying to avoid an incident like the Denise Lee murder. The Denise Amber Lee Foundation played a crucial role in that bill’s passage.

After three years of work, the foundation is gaining steam, bolstered by federal approval in late January of its tax-exempt status, a process that took the better part of a year.

“We’ve got enough credibility that we can commit to making big strides,” said Nathan Lee, foundation president.

With the new nonprofit status in hand, the foundation has put together an aggressive plan for the coming year, and hopes to raise a budget of $120,000. Meanwhile, it has less than $10,000 in its accounts, according to Mark Lee, Nathan’s father and a member of the board. They have about $5,000 in a fund with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice and another $2,500 in a separate account.

“We’re using most of our own money,” Mark Lee said, noting that the foundation did not fundraise while the IRS application was pending.

Denise Lee’s father, Rick Goff, is also on the board of the foundation, and he has gone to Tallahassee in the past to lobby lawmakers to clean up the 911 system.

Now the group is seeking to raise money through corporate sponsorships and a fundraising blitz. The anticipated budget would include a $25,000 fund for crime victim’s families, and another $25,000 to pay for training of 911 operators.

It is also putting together a board made up of industry professionals beyond Florida.

“It’s definitely going to be a national-scope board. People seem to think this is a national issue,” Mark Lee said.

For Nathan Lee, the growth of the foundation and his growing role in 911 reform is the next step in helping to keep the mistakes surrounding his wife’s murder from happening to others.

“We’ve got enough credibility that we can commit to making big strides,” he said. “I think it’s important because this isn’t just a Florida issue. It’s a national issue.” 

Copyright © 2011 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy