ADRIAN, Mich. – The third day of testimony in the preliminary examination of a Lenawee County man accused of killing his wife focused on alleged signs of abuse.
Day one: Dee Warner’s daughter testifies in prelim exam of husband charged with murder in Lenawee County
Day two: Dee Warner’s brother reveals new details about her disappearance in Lenawee County
Dee Warner was last seen in April 2021 at her home on Mugner Road in Tipton. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, Michigan State Police announced that Warner’s husband had been arrested in connection with her death. Her body has never been found, but she has been declared legally dead.
Bodycam footage was revealed in court Friday, May 3, that captured Dale Warner speaking with a police officer the day after Dee Warner went missing. Dale Warner, who has since been charged with open murder and tampering with evidence, acts nonchalant in the video and tells the officer it’s not unusual for his wife to take off.
“She’s gone, she took all her bags,” he tells the officer. “So somebody picked her up, so she’s with someone, somewhere.”
But law enforcement experts testified there has been no trace of Dee since April 24, 2021. From facial recognition software to financial transactions, there’s been nothing.
A friend of Dee Warner took the stand and said she was told about abuse in the relationship after she asked Dee about bruises on her body.
“She said ‘Dale, and I got into a fight and he pushed me into the dresser,’” Stacey Brodie recalled.
She became emotional talking about her last conversation with Dee, just days before she went missing.
“The very last thing she ever said to me, ever, was that she was tired and that it was time to talk to a lawyer,” Brodie said.
The preliminary exam will determine whether there’s enough evidence to go to trial. However, they weren’t able to get to all of it in three days.
The hearings will pick up after the weekend.
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