Kriti Mehrotra
ABC’s ’20/20: Life on the Line’ chronicles how a happily married mother of two, Denise Amber Lee of North Port, Florida, was heinously killed on January 17, 2008. The 21-year-old was kidnapped from her home in broad daylight before being driven away, raped, killed, and buried in a shallow grave. Her untimely and shocking death left her loved ones devastated and turned the world of her loving husband and their children upside down.
Denise Amber Lee Had an Idyllic Family Before Tragedy Struck
A proud native of Englewood, Florida, Denise Amber Lee met Nathaniel “Nathan” Alan Lee at a local community college while she was a student at Lemon Bay High School. He was pursuing further studies while she was taking a few courses there to get ahead, soon propelling them to acknowledge their innate spark despite their 2-year age gap. The fact that she never took off the $40 heart-shaped ring her beau had bought her shortly after their first date was in itself a testament to how quickly they had fallen head over heels in love. Not long after she graduated Magna Cum Laude from high school in 2004, Nathan got down on one knee for Denise, leading them to tie the knot on August 20, 2005. They settled down in North Port, Florida, where they welcomed Noah Alan in early 2006, followed by Adam Michael in July 2007.
She was leading a fulfilling life by the time 2008 rolled around, having found joy in caring for her young family as a homemaker while her husband served as the breadwinner. According to records, Nathan was at his job as the Manager of a local Best Buy when Denise called him at 11:21 am on January 17, 2008, to catch up about how their day was going. Among the topics they discussed were the nice weather and whether they should leave their windows open, to which the mother of two stated she had already opened them for a little breeze. However, when he returned at 3:30 pm, he immediately knew something was wrong because not only were the windows closed, but 2-year-old Noah and 6-month-old Adam were also in the same crib. Denise was nowhere to be found either, which was highly uncharacteristic, so he didn’t hesitate to dial 911.
Nathan Lee Has Since Evolved Into an Advocate for 911 Reform
Nathan’s 911 call for Denise’s case was the first of five the local police received on that fateful day, with another coming from the mother of two herself while she was in her kidnapper’s car. An official investigation reportedly revealed that several calls connected to Denise’s abduction were not processed by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office in time, which ultimately resulted in a delayed response by the authorities. All of which left many with the haunting question: “What if?” Nathan, who had put on a brave face for months and even stared down his wife’s killer in court during his trial in 2009, filed a civil lawsuit over the 911 errors against Charlotte County. The case was eventually settled for $1.25 million in 2012.
By that point, the father of two had realized that taking responsibility wasn’t enough, as changes needed to be made in how 911 centers operated. Therefore, he established the Denise Amber Lee Foundation with the sole aim of advocating for 911 reform and public safety as a whole, which led him to become a full-time advocate soon after. In fact, since the late 2000s, Nathan has been determined to keep his late wife’s legacy alive by playing a role in raising 911 standards not only across the state of Florida but also the nation. The hobbyist musician, who attended Jacksonville University and the University of South Florida, has since joined the board of directors of the state’s Telecommunications Accreditation Commission. As the President/CEO of the foundation (launched six months after Denise’s murder), he remains dedicated to fighting for public safety by speaking up about higher training requirements.
Nathan Lee is a Dedicated Family Man to This Day
Nathan shared that he was initially terrified of being alone, as he was just 23 when he lost Denise, leaving two young sons under his care who needed his constant attention. Therefore, he got into an intense relationship merely 18 months after Denise’s death, not long after which they even welcomed an adorable little girl named Avery into their world. Things changed in the early 2010s, though, as the father of three realized he had been suppressing his grief, which soon led him to part ways with his then-partner so as to really deal with his emotions.
However, while Nathan struggled with having a partner, he was always an attentive, loving, and present father, even for Avery, whom he had partial custody of. He realized, through his public speaking career, that repeatedly sharing his experiences of that fateful day and what happened to Denise was precisely what he needed to heal. Thus, today, the travel enthusiast is not only a proud public safety advocate and a father of three, but also a husband. Nathan tied the knot with Tanya Flikkema Lee on August 9, 2018, with whom he resides happily in Englewood, Florida. She is a Director of Console Cleaning & Maintenance at Evans Consoles.
Denise and Nathan’s Sons Are Gradually Coming Into Their Own
As for Noah and Adam, although they prefer to remain out of the limelight, we do know that they share a close relationship with their father and stepmother. Now adults, with the former being 19 and the latter having recently turned 18, they are also deeply involved in the world of sports. While Noah is a rising entrepreneur with a passion for fancy cars, basketball, baseball, and football, Adam is currently attending Lorain County Community College as a baseball athlete. They both also seem to be involved with the Denise Amber Lee Foundation today, supporting their father in every way they can to keep their mother’s memories alive in their hearts.
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