Relationship troubles and police interviews took center stage Friday in the second day of the murder trial for Dale Warner.
Dale is accused of killing his wife, Dee, in 2021 and concealing her body for years before it was discovered inside a fertilizer tank miles from the couple’s home.
He is facing murder charges.
Proceedings began with a delay on Friday (Feb. 13) afternoon after a juror expressed concern about being captured on camera.
Once that issue was resolved, the prosecution called Dee’s son, Zackery Bock, to the stand.
Bock testified that he lived with his mother and Dale several times after high school and described a tumultuous household.
“We were extremely close,” Bock said of his relationship of his mother. “We talked and saw each other just about every day.”
He told jurors that arguments between his mother and Dale were common when he was staying at the marital home.
“Just about every day,” Bock said when asked how often they fought, adding that the disputes were “typically related to money and something related to one of the businesses.”
Bock also recounted one of his last conversations with his mother, which he said happened the day before she was reported missing. During that exchange, he testified, Dee told him she was “done with everything,” wanted to sell the businesses, and planned to leave Dale.
For context, Dee, a mother of five, vanished in April 2021.
Years later, her remains were found inside a fertilizer tank on property owned by her husband.
The defense, which has argued that the state’s case is built on speculation, sought to widen the picture of Dee’s relationships. Defense attorneys asked Bock whether Dee’s conflicts were limited to Dale.
“What about other family members, any conflicts there?” a defense attorney asked.
“I mean, she’d get into fights with just about anybody,” Bock replied. “Mom just stood up for what she believed in.” He added that his mother had strong opinions and made them known.
In the second half of the day, jurors heard from Austin Hall, a deputy who testified as the state played several body-camera interview clips of Dale.
The footage showed investigators questioning Dale in the early stages of the missing-person case, before Dee’s remains were found.
Testimony is scheduled to resume on Tuesday (Feb. 17) at 9 a.m.