2 Saw Woman Struggle In Slaying Suspect's Car, Report Says

At least two people saw Denise Amber Lee struggle with the man charged in her killing before she was shot in the head and left in a shallow grave, according to documents released Tuesday that reveal the last harrowing hours of the North Port mother's life.

The 21-year-old mother of two was abducted from her home Thursday afternoon. Her remains were found Saturday a few miles from her home.

Prosecutors added first-degree murder to the charges against a man being held in the slaying, Michael Lee King, 36, of North Port.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Lee made a 911 call on King's cell phone at 6:14 p.m. and alerted police to her kidnapping, investigators said.

In a recording of the call, a woman identifies herself as Denise Amber Lee and she pleads with someone: "I'm sorry. I just want to see my family. Please, let me go."

A voice authorities believe to be King's asks: "Where's the phone?"

Lee's voice answered, "I don't know."

Eventually, dispatchers lost contact with the caller.

At 6:23 p.m., 911 dispatchers got a call from Sabrina Muxlow, who said her father, Harold Muxlow, had just phoned her to say that his cousin, King, had just stopped by in his Camaro.

King had asked to borrow a shovel, a gas can and a flashlight. Muxlow told his daughter that he saw a woman try to get out of the car and that King had shoved her back inside before leaving.

Seven minutes later, 911 dispatchers heard from another witness.

Janet Kowalski was driving south on U.S. 41 at Cranberry Boulevard about 6:30 p.m. Thursday when a dark-colored Camaro pulled up on the left side of her vehicle. The car's passenger-side window was partially down.

Kowalski told investigators she made eye contact with the driver, whom she later identified as King. While stopped at the traffic light, she heard screaming and saw what she thought was a woman's hand slapping the left passenger window hard.

The driver, Kowalski told investigators, kept pushing someone down into the back seat. She called 911 from her car, the report said.

Kowalski tried to let the Camaro pass her, the report said, but it moved behind her. She read off each intersection they passed to a 911 dispatcher until the Camaro suddenly turned north on Toledo Blade Boulevard, toward Interstate 75.

When law enforcement entered King's home at about 7 p.m., they found a roll of Duct tape on a kitchen counter. In an empty bedroom, they found a blanket, a pillow and a piece of balled up tape with strands of long, light brown hair stuck to it.

King was arrested at 9:16 p.m. when Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Eddie Pope spotted his car on I-75, near Toledo Blade Boulevard.

The affidavit said Lee died of a gunshot wound to the head and that a ring found in King's car - a white metal ring with a heart - was identified by Lee's husband, Nathaniel, as belonging to her.

Also inside the car, investigators found the borrowed shovel, gasoline can and flashlight.