LENAWEE COUNTY, Mich. – The man found guilty of murdering his wife, Dee Warner, is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday.
Dale Warner was found guilty by a jury on March 10 of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in his wife’s death.
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Dee went missing in 2021 after she planned to meet with her husband. Her remains were found years later in a fertilizer tank on the couple’s Lenawee County property.
--> Dee Warner murder case: Jury finds husband Dale Warner guilty
He is expected to be sentenced on Thursday, May 7.
Background
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.