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911 Call In Lee Kidnapping Not Mishandled, Sheriff Says

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Jackie Barron, News Channel 8

Published: January 25, 2008

Updated: 01/25/2008 06:45 pm

Tensions over a 911 call received by the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office on the night police say Michael King kidnapped and murdered Denise Lee reached a climax this afternoon.

Sheriff John Davenport held a news conference at 1:30 p.m. to try to settle confusion over whether his department mishandled the call. Davenport says that's not true.

Davenport said a motion for a gag order filed by King's defense attorney limits what he can say about what the call included, so he opted instead to point out what it didn't.

According to King's arrest warrant, caller Janet Kowalski told Charlotte County dispatchers she heard a woman scream in a car on U.S. 41. She also said she saw a man shove a woman down into the back seat, and a hand slapping the back window, as if someone was trying to get out.

Davenport said the actual call did not mention someone pushing a person down into the car, did not specify that the hand hitting the window belonged to a female, and did not include details about the color and model of the car.

After Kowalski's call, the department issued a 'be on the lookout' notice, but only to its own officers. The department did not share information with other agencies looking for Denise Lee.

The dispatcher who handled the call, Mildred Stepp, is a veteran, Davenport said. She was placed on administrative leave for a few days after taking the call, but has since returned to duty while an internal investigation continues.

Davenport asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement today to assign an agent to assist detectives in the investigation of Lee's death, Charlotte County Sheriff's Office spokesman Bob Carpenter said.

Lee's father is a Charlotte County sheriff's sergeant.

The FDLE assistance is not normal practice in such investigations, Carpenter said, but Davenport "wants the public to remain confident in his agency and its members, and feels that FDLE's involvement will provide some peace of mind for everyone as they all try to come to grips with this horrible crime."

The FDLE agent will begin assisting the Charlotte County sheriff's investigation next week, Carpenter said.

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