ADRIAN, Mich. — Dale Warner was convicted Tuesday of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife Dee Warner, whose remains were discovered inside a farm fertilizer tank three years after she disappeared from their Franklin Township home.
The Lenawee County jury deliberated nine hours over two days before finding Warner guilty in the 2021 killing that drew national attention through true-crime podcasts and television shows. Community members had posted “Justice for Dee” signs and banners throughout the county, located roughly 70 miles southwest of Detroit. Warner faces several years to life in prison when sentenced May 7.
Dee Warner, 52, vanished in April 2021 from the couple’s home in Franklin Township. Prosecutors said the night before her disappearance, Dee told her husband she wanted a divorce and planned to sell their trucking business. Dale Warner was charged with murder in 2023, more than two years after his wife went missing, even though investigators had not yet located her body. “You are not here to judge Mr. Warner as a husband,” defense attorney Mary Chartier told jurors during the trial. “You may think he was a bad husband, a not-very-attentive husband, whatever you may think of him.”
Investigators discovered Dee Warner’s remains in 2024 inside a fertilizer tank on rural farmland. A handwritten tag on the side of the tank read “out of service” and “do not fill.” An autopsy revealed she had been strangled and suffered blunt force trauma. Prosecutor Jackie Wyse argued that Dale Warner could have called 911 and admitted “I screwed up” after realizing what happened, but instead taped his wife’s mouth and nose to prevent her from breathing. “Those were all conscious decisions,” Wyse told the jury. The defense emphasized the lack of physical evidence linking Warner to his wife’s death and noted he had cooperated with investigators during the search.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed a troubled marriage between the couple, who had been married since 2006. Prosecutors described frequent fights over money and their farming and trucking businesses. They alleged Dale Warner spied on his wife and suspected her of having an affair. The case gained widespread media attention, appearing on multiple true-crime programs and podcasts that kept public interest focused on the unsolved disappearance. Defense lawyers argued the marital problems were irrelevant to the murder charges and stressed that Warner, who worked in agriculture and trucking, had regularly spoken with investigators and denied hurting his wife.
The conviction represents the conclusion of a case that challenged prosecutors to prove murder without initially having a body. Warner was charged based on circumstantial evidence and witness testimony about the couple’s relationship dynamics. The discovery of Dee Warner’s remains in the fertilizer tank provided crucial physical evidence that supported the prosecution’s theory of the case. Community support remained strong throughout the investigation, with residents displaying signs calling for justice across Lenawee County. The case highlighted issues of domestic violence and the difficulties law enforcement faces when investigating suspicious disappearances in rural areas.
When the verdict was read by a court clerk in Lenawee County Circuit Court, Dale Warner buckled slightly and looked down as tears formed in his eyes. His defense attorney patted his arm while relatives of Dee Warner, seated in the gallery, quietly cried and embraced each other. The jury consisted of seven men and five women who heard evidence of the couple’s deteriorating relationship and the circumstances surrounding Dee’s disappearance. Warner had denied involvement in his wife’s death throughout the investigation and trial.
Dale Warner now awaits sentencing on May 7 for the second-degree murder and tampering with evidence convictions. The case demonstrated how community advocacy and media attention can help maintain focus on cold cases involving missing persons. Investigators spent three years searching for Dee Warner’s remains before the discovery in the farm fertilizer tank provided the breakthrough needed to move forward with prosecution.
