Dale Warner found guilty of second-degree murder of his wife Dee Warner, tampering with evidence
Dale Warner, a Michigan man accused of killing his wife, Dee Warner, was found guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence on Tuesday, March 10.
Jury deliberations resumed on Tuesday after they had temporarily paused on Friday. The trial began on Feb. 12 after jury selection lasted for several days.
Dee Warner was reported missing in April 2021 after she was last seen at her home in Lenawee County. Her remains were found three years later, in August 2024, in a fertilizer tank on Dale Warner's property.
Prosecutors argued that Dale Warner had a motive to kill his wife and was the last person to see her alive, CBS-affiliate WTOL in Toledo reports.
Dale Warner was arrested in November 2023 and charged with one count each of open homicide and tampering with evidence. The case was bound over to circuit court in June 2024. Dee Warner's stepson was also charged with tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact, but those charges were later dropped.
The case received national attention and was featured on an episode of "48 Hours" in February 2025. It was also featured on "People Magazine Investigates" in January 2026.
In May 2025, Dee Warner's family filed a lawsuit over access to her financial estate under Michigan's Wrongful Death Act. The family argued that any money in their mother's estate did not belong to her husband, Dale, at the time of her death. The lawsuit includes 4,000 acres of land in Lenawee County, as well as multiple businesses.
Dale Warner's sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2026. He could face life in prison with the possibility of parole.