Southern Fried True Crime

21-year-old Denise Amber Lee was a happily married stay-at-home mom when her life was abruptly snatched away from her. On January 17, 2008, she was abducted from her home. Her two young sons were left sleeping in a crib together. An hour later, Denise’s husband Nate returned home and immediately reported her missing and then called his father-in-law, who was a local police sergeant. He made sure Denise’s case was a top priority. Over the next seven hours, a massive search ensued. Over 300 police officers, multiple helicopters, several K-9 units, and more would comb North Port, Florida, in search of Denise. Several 911 phone calls were made about Denise’s abduction—including one from Denise herself. But, due to a miscommunication, important information about Denise’s attacker’s location was lost. And a minor bureaucratic mishap might have cost Denise her life. Hosted and produced by Erica KelleyResearched and written by Andrea Marshbank Additional Writing by Erica Kelley Original Graphic Art by Coley HornerOri