LENAWEE COUNTY, Mich. – The murder trial of Dale Warner, accused of killing his wife, Dee Warner, and concealing her body for years, began Thursday in Lenawee County -- marking a pivotal moment in a case that has gripped southeast Michigan for nearly five years.
In opening statements, Assistant Prosecutor David McCreedy told the jury of 11 men and five women that Dee disappeared on April 24, 2021, after telling her husband their marriage was over and that they would sell their businesses.
“She was never seen or heard from again,” McCreedy said.
The prosecution displayed photos of the tank where Dee’s body was discovered, showing jurors the evidence that broke the case.
“Before they cut it open, they put a camera inside, and sure enough, there is a tarp. In that tarp is a body and that body is Dee Warner,” McCreedy said.
Dee’s remains were found sealed inside an anhydrous fertilizer tank on Dale’s property years after she went missing.
The prosecutor revealed that Dee was discovered still wearing her pajamas, with duct tape covering her face and neck.
According to McCreedy, she had been strangled and suffered blunt force trauma to her face and head.
McCreedy presented evidence suggesting that Dale tracked his wife’s movements more than 2,000 times between January 2020 and April 2021.
The prosecution also revealed surveillance video showing Dale retrieving welding tools on the farm.
Defense attorney Marisa Vinsky countered that the prosecution’s case is “built on speculation, assumption, and innuendo.”
She challenged jurors to focus on three key elements: the government’s timeline of events, activities on the farm involving multiple people, and the conduct of the investigation.
Multiple family members took the stand, painting a picture of mounting tensions in the Warner household.
Dee’s daughter, Amber Million, testified about one of her mother’s final conversations.
“She said, ‘We are selling everything. I’m done,’” Million said.
Another daughter, Rikkel Bock, testified that she discovered a tracking device on her mother’s Escalade and described their close relationship, which included weekly Sunday breakfasts and grocery shopping.
Bock told jurors that while her mother had discussed divorce before, this was the first time she mentioned selling the business.
Amy Alexander, who had been dating Dale’s brother since 2011, provided testimony about the evening before Dee’s disappearance.
Alexander, who described herself as “good friends” with Dee, said she picked up the Warners’ 9-year-old daughter around 7 p.m. that Saturday.
Alexander testified that Dee confided in her that she planned to discuss divorce with Dale that night.
Alexander said it was her suggestion to have the Warners’ daughter stay at her house.
The trial, scheduled to continue until mid-March, will feature dozens of more witnesses.
Prosecutors must demonstrate that Warner not only caused his wife’s death but did so with premeditation and deliberation.
The trial continues on Friday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. with additional witness testimony.