The case of Dee Warner, a mother of five who vanished in 2021 from her Lenawee County home, is finally moving toward trial.
Three years after her disappearance, Warner’s remains were found just miles from her home.
Her husband, Dale Warner, is accused of stuffing her body inside an ammonia tank and sealing it shut.
Now, Dale will stand trial next week.
Investigator Lauren Kostiuk shared the chilling timeline—from the day Dee disappeared to when her family finally got answers.
This case has haunted Lenawee County for years, marked by unexpected twists.
Local 4 Investigators have followed the story from the start, from Dee’s disappearance in 2021 to the discovery of her remains hidden in plain sight.
On April 25, 2021, Dee, 52, vanished from her home on Munger Road in Franklin Township.
She told friends she planned to meet her husband, Dale, but was never seen again.
Just days after she went missing, police body camera footage showed Dale being questioned.
He acted as if nothing unusual had happened.
The family had suspicions but no answers for years.
The search continued, with investigators digging up countless properties.
In August 2022, Michigan State Police took over the investigation from the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office.
In November 2023, without a body, Dale was arrested and formally charged with Dee’s murder.
→ Remains found inside husband’s anhydrous tank identified as Dee Warner
“Who would have ever thought that in this little tiny town on this little country road that we’d have to be talking about a murder,” said Dee’s brother, Gregg Hardy.
Attorneys believed they could prove Dee was dead and Dale was responsible.
“One of the last things my mom said to me was ‘I watch Dateline like every night, and he could do something like that to me,’” Dee’s daughter said.
The most chilling discovery came on Aug. 16, 2024, when state police found human remains hidden inside a sealed tank on Dale’s property.
Dental records later confirmed the remains were Dee’s.
Dee’s brother gave an exclusive look inside the barn where she was found.
“These are the kind of tanks they are, and if you notice, there’s a seam right here. Ok? And that appears to be where the seam was cut and this cap taken off and her body put in that way,” Gregg Hardy explained.
The case darkened further in March 2025 when Dale’s son, Jaron Warner, was arrested for tampering with evidence and being an accessory.
However, those charges were dropped in May.
Over the months, Dale’s defense team filed several motions to delay the case, including a request to move the trial out of the county. That request was denied.
“Significant community opinion that appears to exist to a large part to Mr. Warner’s detriment,” said the defense attorney.
Now, five years later, Dale is finally set to face a long-awaited murder trial—a trial that promises to unravel years of secrets.
This has been a rocky legal process for Dee’s family, who have waited five years for justice.
When speaking with Dee’s brother last month, he described the wait as frustrating.
The final hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday, with the trial set to start on Jan. 27 unless Dale accepts a last-minute plea deal.