LENAWEE COUNTY, Mich. – The Lenawee County man accused of murdering his wife, who disappeared four years ago, appeared in court on Tuesday.
Dee Warner went missing in April 2021. Her husband, Dale, was charged in June 2024 after human remains found on his Lenawee County property were determined to be Dee’s.
The case has been closely followed by local authorities and the community.
Dale Warner faces charges of murder and tampering with evidence. His trial is expected to begin on Jan. 27, 2026.
On Dec. 30, 2025, Dale appeared in court, where his defense attorney filed several motions.
Dale’s attorney filed a motion regarding a change of venue due to the continued concern over “stealth jurors” and the mass media coverage of the case. The court previously denied the motion to change the location of the trial. However, the judge said the court will increase the peremptory challenges from 12 to 18 during jury selection, and over 700 jurors were called for questioning prior to the trial.
The defense also asked the court to exclude jail calls involving him and his attorney. Dale’s attorney expressed concern that his attorney-client privilege was being denied due to the recorded jail calls. The judge denied this motion because the attorney had been prompted that the calls would be recorded before talking to Dale over the phone, so the confidentiality had been waived.
During the court hearing, the judge said the prosecutors and defense will have to schedule a Daubert hearing before the trial to determine if an expert witness is relevant to the case. A date for this hearing has not yet been set.
Dale’s attorney filed an additional motion claiming there was a Brady violation, meaning the prosecution failed to disclose evidence to the defense. The judge denied the motion, stating the defense failed to establish the violation.
The judge also granted a motion to exclude some photos from the trial as irrelevant and to exclude statements made by witnesses in 2018 and 2019 regarding the purchase and use of a lake home.