LENAWEE COUNTY, Mich. – A jury convicted Dale Warner of murdering his wife, Dee Warner, after she vanished in 2021 and her remains were found in a fertilizer tank on their property years later.
On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, a jury found Dale guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in his wife’s death.
His sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2026.
“It’s been a long time getting here,” Dee’s brother, Gregg Hardy, said outside after court on Tuesday afternoon. “So it’s very difficult for it to sink, but I’m exuberant for my sister.”
Hardy said he’s disappointed Dale wasn’t found guilty of first-degree murder.
“He is an atrocious piece of human trash, in my opinion. A debris. However you like to say it,” Hardy said when asked about Dale. “No one should ever consider doing that to a human being, let alone the mother of your child or your wife.”
In April 2021, Dee, a mother of five, vanished from her home on Munger Road in Franklin Township after reportedly planning to meet with her husband.
Just days after she went missing, police body camera footage showed Dale being questioned. He acted nonchalantly and told officers that it wasn’t unusual for his wife to take off.
The family had suspicions but no answers for years. The search for Dee continued, with investigators digging up countless properties.
Michigan State Police took over the investigation from the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office in August 2022.
In November 2023, Dale was arrested and charged with Dee’s murder, before her body was found.
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.
Then, on Aug. 16, 2024, state police found human remains hidden inside a sealed fertilizer tank on Dale’s property.
Dental records later confirmed the remains belonged to Dee.
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 2025.
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.