Dee Warner Case: Complete Timeline

ADRIAN, Michigan – On Sunday, August 18, Michigan State Police released new details in the case of a missing Lenawee County woman. Police believe the body is that of Dee Warner, a 53-year-old wife and mother from Adrian, Michigan. She was found in a waterless tank on a remote property owned by Dee's husband, Dale Warner.

The discovery was made Friday afternoon when authorities executed a search warrant on one of Dale's properties near Paragon Road.

An autopsy to confirm the cause of death is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20.

The new developments represent the latest update in the multi-year chronology of Dee's missing person case.

Warner's girlfriend says she saw her drop off her daughter. Court documents show Warner told her girlfriend she was going to meet her husband, Dale Warner.

Family and friends worked with police in the days that followed to find the missing woman, searching wooded areas and properties near the family's home.

RELATED TOPICS: Second day of search yields no evidence for missing Michigan woman

Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier said Dee did not have her cellphone with her when she disappeared.

Hotlines were in operation throughout the summer for any information regarding Dee's whereabouts.

Several months passed without any information about Dee's whereabouts appearing to authorities or on social media.

The Lenawee County Sheriff's Department called in federal authorities to help search for the missing woman. The Michigan State Police, FBI and DNR were also called in to help search for Dee.

RELATED TOPICS: 'Keep the fire alive' | A missing woman's family hopes for answers soon and is determined not to let her case fade into the background

Nearly a year after Dee first went missing, authorities issued new search warrants in her case. Teams scoured Lenawee County while her family offered a $50,000 reward for anyone who could help find her remains, as they no longer believed she was alive.

RELATED TOPICS: Do you know where Dee Warner is? Family offers $50,000 reward for finding missing Adrian woman

Dee's family had hired private investigator Billy Little to investigate their case. Little said he and the family had come up with a new plan for how they would approach the case, which is why the family considered the possibility of a wrongful death case.

One year after Dee Warner's disappearance, the family held a vigil to remember their beloved wife.

RELATED TOPIC: Community marks first anniversary of Michigan mother's disappearance with vigil

When the family's $50,000 went unclaimed, they asked a judge to have Dee declared legally dead so that other parts of their case could move forward.

The hearings on Dee's motion to declare him dead dragged on for months, and the family waited for a decision.

Nevertheless, Dale Warner, Dee's husband, and his lawyer claimed that Dee was still alive.

RELATED TOPIC: Dee Warner case goes to court on March 16

Finally, two years passed since Dee's disappearance without any answers.

Throughout the investigation into Dee's disappearance, Dale's attorney claimed that Dee packed up his things and left, arguing that Dee had done this to Dale before.

But Dee's family didn't believe Dale's lawyer.

Authorities confirmed that there had indeed been an argument between Dale and Dee before Dee's disappearance.

No one was charged in Dee's disappearance, but that didn't stop her family from filing a wrongful death lawsuit against her husband, Dale.

RELATED TOPICS: Michigan court considers motion to declare Dee Warner dead; police confirm Dale Warner is suspect in case

A judge ruled that he could not sell his and Dee's assets. He was later charged with contempt of court after selling assets that belonged to both him and Dee.

RELATED: Dale Warner arrested again for contempt of court for not cooperating with guardian in his missing wife's case

Dale was charged by the Lenawee County Sheriff's Department with killing his wife, Dee Warner, after she was pronounced dead, a decision Dee's family had been waiting for nearly two and a half years.

RELATED: Suspect arrested and charged in connection with Dee Warner murder in Lenawee County

A judge held an evidentiary hearing to decide whether or not Dale Warner will go on trial in May 2024.

The preliminary hearing lasted three days and was adjourned until June.

On June 7, 2024, a judge ruled that Dale Warner would be tried before a jury on charges of murder and evidence tampering.

Dale's trial was scheduled without Dee's body.

RELATED: Judge says Dale Warner, a Lenawee County man accused of murdering his wife, will stand trial after preliminary hearing concludes

Authorities found what is believed to be the remains of Dee Warner sealed in one of two tanks removed from Dale Warner's property near Paragon Road in Lenawee County.

Official confirmation through laboratory tests is still pending to identify the remains as those of Dee Warner.

An autopsy of the remains is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20.

Michigan State Police say the investigation into Dee's case is ongoing.

This is a developing story. WTOL 11 will provide updates as they become available.