Dale Warner, the man convicted of murdering his wife — Dee Warner — will face a Lenawee County judge for sentencing. Warner could spend his life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Today's sentencing closes a years-long case that we have been following since the very beginning. We do plan on streaming the sentencing at the link below and on social media.
Dee was last seen at her home in Lenawee County on April 25, 2021. More than a year after her disappearance, Michigan State Police took over the investigation. On November 23, 2023, Warner was arrested and charged with murder.
Human remains were found inside a sealed fertilizer tank on Dale's property on August 18, 2024. Three days later, those remains were identified as Dee's
The trial against Dale began on February 12 of this year. Back on March 10, Warner was found guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. It has been a long road for Dee's family to finally get the justice they hoped for.
Watch Ryan Marshall's report and our previous coverage
It's been an incredibly emotional last five years for Dee's brother and the rest of her family. He says they've worked very hard to get justice for his sister.
“A tremendous amount of anxiety leading up to this because this is somewhat the finality of what we worked so long to achieve," said Greg Hardy.
Lenawee County Prosecutor Jacqueline Wyse says Michigan State Police played a big part in breaking open the case.
“Their leadership gave us all the resources we needed to see this case to the end," Wyse said.
On the flip side, Dale Warner's attorney says they plan to fight.
“He’s disappointed. But, he’ll continue to fight to try to prove he’s not guilty of these crimes," Mary Chartier said.
For Hardy, he's still processing the emotions behind his sister's murder. But he says he's kept his mind focused on getting justice for Dee.
“One of my purposes in trying to pursue this for so long is to try to help show other people what can happen and perhaps have some positive impact on the system because it has been a very anxious five years," he said.
And Dee's family will read victim impact statements during Dale's sentencing later on today in a Lenawee County courtroom, as it'll be their opportunity to address him directly.
