Dee Warner Obituary, Death – Michigan Farmer Found Inside Fertilizer Tank as Husband Dale Warner Is Sentenced for Her Murder

Dee Warner, a 52-year-old farmer and businesswoman from southeastern Michigan, was the center of a heartbreaking disappearance that remained unresolved for more than three years. Her disappearance in April 2021 led to an extensive investigation, a discovery on the family’s property, and the eventual conviction of her husband, Dale Warner, for her murder.

Dee and Dale operated several agricultural and transportation businesses together, including farming, fertilizer and trucking operations. Their blended family included eight children from previous relationships, four each, and they also had a daughter together. Behind the family’s business life, however, prosecutors later described a marriage strained by persistent arguments, financial disagreements and the possibility of divorce.

The case drew widespread attention because Dee’s body remained undiscovered for years, despite efforts by her family and investigators to determine what had happened. The discovery of her remains inside a large agricultural tank ultimately provided a crucial breakthrough in a case that ended with Dale’s conviction in March 2026.

Dee Warner’s Disappearance in April 2021

On Sunday, April 25, 2021, Dee’s daughter, Rikkell Bock, went to her mother’s home in Tecumseh for their usual breakfast. Dee was nowhere to be found, but her vehicles remained in the driveway and her wedding ring had been left behind.

Dale told others that the last time he had seen his wife, she was asleep on the couch. He suggested that she must have left while he was working on the farm. As the day progressed without an explanation for her absence, Dee’s children contacted police.

Her disappearance immediately raised questions among members of her family. The circumstances were difficult to reconcile with the idea that she had simply decided to leave, particularly because her belongings and vehicles remained at home.

In the months and years that followed, investigators examined the couple’s relationship, their business affairs and evidence collected from the farm. What initially appeared to be a missing-person case would eventually become a murder prosecution.

A Marriage Under Strain

Evidence presented during the investigation and trial painted a picture of a marriage experiencing serious difficulties before Dee disappeared.

Prosecutors described months, and possibly years, of conflict between Dee and Dale. Financial disagreements were among the issues discussed, and Dee had reportedly been considering divorce. Her children testified that the couple argued frequently, although they had not witnessed the disputes becoming physical.

The couple’s business interests added another dimension to the situation. Their operations included farming, fertilizer and trucking, with financial concerns forming part of the wider picture presented at trial.

Although the precise financial circumstances of each business should not be assumed without supporting evidence, prosecutors used the background of the relationship to explain the tensions that preceded Dee’s disappearance.

The testimony did not, by itself, establish what happened to Dee. Investigators would have to piece together the physical and digital evidence to build a case against her husband.

Security Footage and Internet Searches

Investigators later examined security footage recorded on the farm on the day Dee disappeared. The video showed Dale gathering welding equipment and other materials, including a welding mask, gloves, an angle grinder, a hook and heavy chains.

In May 2021, online searches associated with the investigation included queries about a 1,000-gallon propane tank, chemical cremation, the legality of liquid cremation and dating websites for widowers. These searches became part of the evidence examined as investigators worked to establish what had happened to Dee.

Her family members also questioned Dale’s account of her disappearance.

Dee’s brother, Gregg Hardy, said he did not believe his brother-in-law’s explanation. He offered a reward for information and later arranged for a billboard bearing the message “HELP DALE FIND DEE.” Hardy acknowledged that the billboard was intended to put public and psychological pressure on Dale while keeping attention focused on his missing sister.

Dale also reportedly told Dee’s youngest daughter that her mother had left to begin a new life in another country. The family became increasingly concerned as the search continued without an explanation that resolved their questions.

The Investigation and Legal Proceedings

Michigan State Police eventually took over the investigation as the search for answers continued.

In September 2023, Dale was sentenced to 93 days in jail for contempt of court after failing to cooperate with those administering Dee’s estate. That same month, a court proceeding was held to determine Dee’s legal status, and she was declared legally dead.

On November 23, 2023, Dale was arrested and charged with murder, despite investigators not yet having located Dee’s body.

The absence of remains had made the case particularly difficult. Investigators continued examining the farm, the available records and evidence that might explain how Dee had disappeared.

A major development came in the summer of 2024, when police discussed security footage with Gregg Hardy showing Dale carrying welding equipment into a barn where agricultural machinery was kept. Hardy recalled visiting the barn shortly after Dee disappeared and seeing Dale sanding and painting an old anhydrous ammonia tank himself, an unusual task for someone who would ordinarily have assigned such work to an employee.

State police disputed that Hardy was the person who first directed investigators toward the tank. Nevertheless, the equipment, footage and observations became part of the wider investigative picture.

Dee’s Remains Discovered Inside an Agricultural Tank

In mid-August 2024, investigators found an agricultural tank on the couple’s property along Paragon Road in Franklin Township. The tank had fresh paint, a rough weld and a “do not use” sticker.

An X-ray examination revealed human remains inside. Dee was found barefoot, wearing pajamas and wrapped in a tarp. Dental records were used to confirm her identity.

The discovery finally answered the question that had haunted her family since April 2021: Dee had not simply left home to begin another life.

The autopsy determined that she had been strangled and suffered blunt-force injuries to the head. Prosecutors argued that Dale had also taped over her mouth and nose, preventing her from breathing.

The findings transformed the investigation, which had continued for years without the recovery of her remains, into a case supported by forensic evidence and the circumstances surrounding the tank.

For Dee’s relatives, the discovery brought an answer to the mystery of her disappearance while exposing the violence prosecutors said had ended her life.

Additional Developments Before the Trial

The case continued to generate legal developments as prosecutors prepared for trial.

In March 2025, Dale’s son, Jaron Warner, was arrested on allegations of evidence tampering and being an accessory. Those charges were dropped in May 2025.

Separately, the former lead detective in the investigation was arrested before the trial after being accused of leaving Michigan to avoid testifying. These developments added further complications to an already lengthy and closely watched case.

Despite the legal challenges and the time that had passed since Dee disappeared, the prosecution proceeded toward trial in early 2026.

Dale Warner Found Guilty of Murder

Dale Warner’s trial began on February 12, 2026, and lasted approximately five weeks. Thirty-five witnesses testified as jurors heard evidence concerning Dee’s disappearance, the couple’s relationship, the farm’s security footage and the discovery of her remains.

Dale did not testify in his own defense. His attorneys argued that there was no physical evidence directly tying him to Dee’s death and challenged the prosecution’s case.

On March 10, 2026, the jury found Dale guilty of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

The verdict marked a decisive turning point in the case. After years of uncertainty for Dee’s family, the jury concluded that the prosecution had established his guilt on the charges.

The conviction followed a lengthy investigation that brought together witness testimony, digital evidence, footage from the farm and forensic findings from the tank in which Dee’s remains were discovered.

Dale Warner Sentenced to Up to 70 Years in Prison

On May 7, 2026, Judge Michael Olsaver sentenced Dale to 31 years and three months to 60 years in prison for second-degree murder. He received an additional sentence of 17 months to 10 years for tampering with evidence, to be served consecutively.

Together, the sentences mean Dale could face up to 70 years in prison. According to the sentencing information provided, he is not expected to be eligible for parole for approximately 33 years. At 58 years old at the time described, that would put him around 91 before becoming eligible.

His attorney, Mary Chartier, indicated that he intended to continue challenging the outcome.

During sentencing, Gregg Hardy addressed the court and expressed the depth of his anger toward the man convicted of killing his sister. His remarks reflected years of frustration, grief and determination to see the case reach a conclusion.

Remembering Dee Warner

Dee Warner was a mother, farmer and businesswoman whose life was intertwined with her family and the agricultural businesses she helped operate. Her disappearance left her loved ones searching for answers while years passed without knowing what had happened to her.

The eventual discovery of her remains and Dale Warner’s conviction brought a measure of resolution to a case that had placed her family through a prolonged period of uncertainty. Yet a legal verdict cannot undo the loss experienced by those who loved her.

Accounts attributed to Rikkell have also suggested that Dee once expressed fear that Dale might hurt her. That recollection should be treated cautiously unless supported by a reliable public record, but it has become part of the broader discussion surrounding the relationship and the events that preceded Dee’s disappearance.

The story of Dee Warner’s death is remembered not only for the unusual circumstances in which her remains were found, but also for the persistence of her family in seeking answers.

After years of questions, investigation and court proceedings, the verdict and sentence brought the criminal case to a significant milestone. Dee’s life, however, remains more than the circumstances of her death: she was a mother and a businesswoman whose absence left a lasting impact on the people closest to her.