Jury Seated in Dale Warner Murder Trial
- tracystengel
- 3 hours ago
- 3 min read
Eleven men and 5 women will serve as jurors in Dale Warner’s murder trial in Lenawee County Circuit Court. Four will be alternates.
This morning, Judge Olsaver denied the defense’s motion for change of venue. He acknowledged the massive media attention this case has garnered, but media attention does not inevitably lead to an unfair trial. He increased peremptory challenges by 50% for the defense and prosecution. Instead of 12 they each received 18. He felt there were “sufficient safeguards" in place to find a fair and unbiased jury.
Last Thursday, on the 8th day of jury selection, the prosecution and defense had agreed on 96 jurors to advance to the second round. On Friday, Judge Olsaver said on record that one of the jurors had been excused due to work responsibilities. This morning, we learned two more had been excused. One person was dismissed for injuries sustained from falling off a tractor. The other man said he thought Dale was guilty, but upon follow-up, it was unclear if he could set aside preconceived notions.
Round 2 of jury selection went fast. All the potential jurors were brought into the courtroom. By a drawing, 16 were selected to sit in the jury box and be questioned by the defense and the prosecution. People were then dismissed for cause or with a peremptory challenge and potential jurors from the gallery would fill their seats. The new people who entered the jury box were they only ones the defense and prosecution could question.
A lot of the questions were designed to see if the jurors understood that the defense does not have to prove Dale Warner did not kill his wife, Dee Ann Warner. In fact, the defense does not have to prove anything. The burden of proof rests solely on the prosecution. Dale Warner does not have to testify and if he doesn’t, it should not be perceived as an admission of guilt.
Nowadays there are plenty of podcasts and TV shows that cater to Internet sleuths and true crime enthusiasts. The defense made sure potential jurors understood that it is not their job to solve the case. The trial might end, and we still may not know why Dee was killed or who did it. The only job of the juror is to decide whether Dale is innocent or guilty.
This case has evoked strong feelings and opinions in the community. Potential jurors were asked if they felt pressure from their family, friends, or co-workers to vote a certain way. They were also asked if listening to the facts of a homicide case would be triggering.
Other questions included: Would you hold it against the defense if they asked some hard questions of law enforcement? Do you know any of your fellow potential jurors? Have you ever worked on a farm or as a welder?
The prosecution used 3 peremptory challenges to excuse people without giving a reason. The defense used 5.
The defense and prosecution were satisfied with the 16 jurors by noon.
Tomorrow there will be a short evidentiary hearing tomorrow morning at 10:30. Opening statements have been moved to Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 9:00 AM.
Dale Warner is charged of open murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife, Dee Ann Warner. She had been reported missing April 25, 2021, and Dee’s remains were found in an anhydrous ammonia tank on August 17, 2024, on Dale’s property.
For background on the case, you can start here.