Dee Ann Warner Officially Declared Deceased

Dee Ann Warner. Photo courtesy of Parker Hardy.

Today, Hon. Catherine A. Sala of Lenawee County Probate court declared Dee Ann Warner deceased. On April 24, 2021, Dee planned to tell her husband, Dale Warner, she wanted a divorce and to sell their various businesses. She arranged for a friend to pick up their nine-year-old daughter that evening and keep her overnight to shield her from a potentially heated argument.

In 2022, Dee’s four adult children filed a petition asking for a ruling to declare their mother dead. They did not believe their mother had simply walked away and suspected foul play.

In November 2023, Dale Warner was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife and tampering with evidence. Today, he resides in Lenawee County Jail on a 15-million-dollar bond as he awaits his trial.

Judge Sala’s twelve-page Order and Opinion was issued after considering testimonies given last year from those close to Dee, members of law enforcement, and experts. They all believed Dee was no longer alive.

Three of Dee’s long-time friends took the stand. They were adamant Dee would never simply abandon her friends and family. Two testified they had seen bruises on Dee after Dale and Dee’s frequent arguments. One said, “There is no force on this earth that would force her to willingly leave her kids.”

When Dee’s adult children reported her missing, Deputy Austin Hall responded to the call. Then, he went to interview Dale who admitted they had argued the night before. Dale said Dee had a migraine and had taken medication to alleviate the pain. He said she made suicidal comments. Due to that information, Deputy Hall had dispatch ping Dee’s phone and it indicated it was most likely last at the Warner residence. The phone still has not been found. Dale claimed Dee was sleeping on couch between 6:00 – 7:00 AM April 25, 2021. Dale noticed a curling iron and “go bag” were missing.

In court, Deputy Hall said, “There is no doubt in my mind at all that Dee Ann Warner is dead.”

Michigan State Police Criminal Intelligence Analyst Nikole Anderson testified she spent over 40 hours scouring various databases including airport and multi-state facial recognition and law enforcement information networks. She believed it to be virtually impossible for a person not to show up on any of these databases unless they were deceased.

Charles Bullock, Conservator for Dee Ann Warner’s estate, took the stand and stated he believed Dee was deceased. In his experience, no one living would want anyone to take over all their financial affairs and have access to sensitive documents and information.

Dr. Roy Fenoff, an expert Forensic Handwriting Analyst, examined the Power of Attorney used by Dale to receive a large SBA loan five months after Dee’s disappearance. He concluded Dee Ann Warner’s signature was forged.

Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant Daniel Drewyor has been the lead detective on Dee’s missing person case since MSP took over the case in August 2022. He indicated Dee had regular medical, chiropractic, and dental appointments that ceased after her disappearance. Her credit card activity stopped. The money solely in her name was untouched except for when Dale tried to withdraw that money shortly after her disappearance.

Detective Sergeant Drewyor referred to his investigation as a homicide investigation with no viable suspects except Dale Warner.

Dee’s daughter, Rikkell Bock, testified she saw her mother the day before her disappearance. She described Dee as “Physically and emotionally more drained than I had ever seen her before when it came to their marriage.” She said Dale pulled Dee’s wedding ring out of his pocket on April 25, 2021, claiming he found it on his desk. Dale can no longer find that ring. Rikkell testified she believed Dee was deceased and Dale was responsible.

Judge Sala concluded her Order and Opinion with, “… the clear and convincing evidence that the death of Dee Ann Warner rests solely upon the shoulders of the person who stood to benefit the most from her death – Dale Warner.” She officially ordered Dee Ann Warner was considered legally deceased as of April 24, 2021.

Dee’s four adult children plan to file a wrongful death suit against Dale Warner.

“Today was really hard,” Kathryn Adams, life-long friend of Dee, said after learning of Judge Sala’s decision. “Seeing the words in print makes Dee’s death even more real. It’s like reopening a wound. I wish I could say this would help us get closure, but we have a long road ahead of us. We still have a murder trial to sit through. We have to keep reliving the pain.”

It was a very emotional day for Dee’s family. Gregg Hardy, Dee’s brother said, “This is not the end. For us, it will never end.”

For background on the case of Dee Ann Warner, you can start here. For all the latest information, join the Justice for Dee Facebook page.