ADRIAN, Mich. – The preliminary exam for Dale Warner is expected to last several days as he stands charged with the murder of his wife, Dee Warner.
Her body has never been found. 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.
Dale Warner was charged with open murder and tampering with evidence.
---> Dee Warner murder: Everything we know about arrest of husband
The judge said she would not allow Dee Warner’s death certificate to be included as evidence after Dale Warner’s attorney objected.
During Wednesday’s preliminary exam, the prosecution called several witnesses -- including Dee Warner’s daughter.
“One of the last things that my mom said to me was, ‘I watch Dateline like every night and he could do something like that to me,’” Rikkell Bock said.
Leading up to her disappearance, Rikkell Bock said her mother was planning to end her marriage to Dale Warner.
“She said her marriage was already over and she was going to divorce him,” Rikkell said.
She said she knew something was wrong when she arrived at her mother’s home for breakfast on April 25, 2021. Rikkell said she immediately began searching for her.
She also shared later conversations with Dale Warner about his final moments with her mother before she went missing.
“He asked if I had talked to my mom and that she was mad at him for the fight that happened and he hadn’t talked to her. She won’t answer him,” Rikkell said.
The prosecution called several other witnesses in an effort to showcase Dale Warner as a husband who tracked his wife’s movements.
“She said she wanted to sell the trucking company and be done with the marriage,” said Amy Alexander, a friend of Dee Warner’s.
The defense focused their questions on Dee’s temperament.