Lenawee County Jury Reaches Verdict in Warner Trial

After years of investigation and a five-week murder trial in Michigan that drew nationwide attention, a Lenawee County jury has convicted Tecumseh farmer Dale Warner in the death of his wife, Dee Warner. The verdict closes a chapter in a case that began when Dee Warner disappeared nearly five years ago.

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Michigan Jury Reaches Verdict in Dale Warner Trial

Jurors found Dale Warner guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence after roughly nine hours of deliberations over two days, according to The Detroit News. The jury of seven men and five women had also been given the option to convict on first-degree premeditated murder because Warner was charged with open murder. They ultimately chose the second-degree conviction.

Dee Warner, 52, was reported missing in April 2021. Investigators did not file charges until 2024, after her remains were discovered inside a sealed fertilizer tank on the Warner family property in Lenawee County.

Michigan Jury Reaches Verdict in Dale Warner Trial

Prosecutors presented largely circumstantial evidence but argued it formed a clear picture of what happened. Among the most significant pieces of testimony and evidence cited during the trial were:

• The discovery of Dee Warner's body in a resealed and repainted fertilizer tank on property connected to Dale Warner
• The medical examiner found that Dee Warner died from strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head
• Digital evidence and internet searches on Warner's devices related to disposal methods, including "chemical cremation"
• Evidence of surveillance and tracking, including testimony that Warner checked the location of his wife's vehicle thousands of times and had her cell phone cloned
• Testimony describing marital conflict and financial disputes in the months before Dee Warner disappeared

When Dale Warner Will Be Sentenced

Warner, 58, now faces sentencing on May 7, 2026, at 8:15 a.m. in Lenawee County Circuit Court. WILX reports he could receive a sentence ranging from several years to life in a Michigan prison.

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For Dee Warner's family, the verdict marks the end of a long wait for accountability after nearly five years seeking answers.