The brother and daughter of a Lenawee County woman missing since 2021 said the discovery of Dee Warner’s remains gives them some “closure” after three years of uncertainty, but “a conviction has yet to be made.”
After Michigan State Police confirmed this week that remains found on the property of Warner’s husband Dale were identified as Dee’s, Dee’s brother Gregg Hardy told media on Thursday that it was “horrifying” to imagine one human being doing to another human being what his sister’s husband allegedly did to him.
“So many people have been irreparably harmed – his own wife, his own family, his own little daughter,” Hardy said.
Dee’s remains were found Sunday on the property of her husband, Dale Warner, who was charged with murder and evidence tampering in connection with his wife’s death in November 2023. The 52-year-old mother of five was last seen in April 2021 at her home on Munger Road in Franklin Township.
The Jackson County coroner positively identified the remains as Dee, Michigan State Police said Wednesday. Her death was ruled a homicide.
“The cause of death has been confirmed but is being kept confidential pending further investigation,” Michigan State Police said on X. “While the remains were positively identified and the cause of death has been confirmed, this is an ongoing investigation. Investigators will continue to collect evidence and work with the Lenawee County District Attorney’s Office to ensure a conviction.”
Hardy said it was “certainly hard” for relatives to see Dee’s remains in an “artificial grave” that they claim was created by Dale Warner.
“He brutally killed my sister without remorse, has continued to show no remorse, harmed his family and the community and, most importantly, he told horrific lies to his own daughter,” Hardy said. “…I truly hope that after a fair and just trial, he receives the absolute maximum sentence the law allows.”
Mary Chartier, Dale Warner’s attorney, called the police’s latest information “a tragic turn of events for all who loved and cared for Ms. Warner.”
“However, this does not change Mr. Warner’s position and we are prepared to fight for him in court,” she said in an email.
Hardy and Dee’s daughter, Rikkel Bock, said they are planning a family burial at Dee’s gravesite now that Dee’s remains have been found.
They thanked everyone who helped along the way and gave clues as to what might have happened.
“We can’t thank you enough for staying by our side and believing in us when we no longer wanted to believe in ourselves,” said Bock.
And while Dee’s remains provide some closure, “it’s an emotional scar that we will carry forever,” Hardy said.
Dale Warner is scheduled to appear in Lenawee County District Court on September 4. If convicted, he faces a life sentence in prison.
Editor Hannah Mackay contributed.
