A Lenawee County jury convicted Dale Warner on March 10, 2026, of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence in the death of his wife, Dee Warner [1]. The case reached the Lenawee County Circuit Court after investigators tied Warner to his wife's disappearance and discovered her remains concealed inside a fertilizer tank on the couple's farm [1]. Prosecutors, led by Lenawee County Prosecutor Jacqueline Wyse, charged Warner with killing Dee Warner and then hiding her body in a tank that had been resealed and repainted [1].
Trial testimony and physical evidence centered on the fertilizer tank, which investigators recovered from the farm property [1]. The jury, composed of seven men and five women, deliberated for nine hours spread across two days before returning guilty verdicts on both counts [1]. Defense counsel Mary Chartier contested the charges, but the jury rejected her client's position on each count [1].
Warner now faces sentencing, scheduled for May 7, 2026, before Judge Michael Olsaver [1]. Second-degree murder in Michigan carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment or any term of years, and the tampering conviction adds additional exposure under state law. The sentencing proceeding will determine the final disposition of both counts.
No appeal posture has been reported as of the verdict date. Post-trial motions, if filed, have not been disclosed in available reporting [1].