Kriti Mehrotra
When 52-year-old Dee Ann Warner disappeared from her home in Franklin Township, Michigan, without a trace left behind in April 2021, it left the entire nation baffled to the core. What followed was an extensive investigation as well as an unwavering search, as explored in ID’s ‘People Magazine Investigates: Vanished in the Heartland,’ but all hopes were shattered 3 years later. That’s when her remains were recovered from arguably one of the most peculiar places, but by this point, officials had already made a major arrest on suspicion of foul play and more.
Dee Ann Warner Was Found Dead in a Tank on Family Property
It was on July 29, 1968, when Dee Ann Hardy was born in Tecumseh, Michigan, to Wanda Luella Krause and Raynor Carl Hardy as the apple of their eye and the pride of their hearts. She thus grew up alongside her brother Gregg Hardy while surrounded by affection, care, as well as kindness, all the while understanding the significance of hard work owing to their family’s farm. According to records, they have owned a very fertile piece of land in Lenawee County since 1831, where they have farmed corn, soy, and wheat, and raised dairy cattle for generations.
Therefore, by the time Dee completed her studies, she knew she wanted to support her loved ones in a different way — she was determined to evolve into a successful businesswoman. That’s when she kick-started her career in real estate before ultimately shifting gears to become a salesperson at an agricultural and fertilizer supply company in Blissfield, Michigan. She was a married mother of four, but everything soon turned upside down when she found herself falling deeply in love with a member of a rival farming family, Dale John Warner. He was also a married parent at the time, but neither of them could deny the innate connection they shared, leading to an extramarital affair before they left their respective spouses. Dee and Dale eventually tied the knot in a cozy ceremony in 2006, following which they welcomed a daughter into the world, making her a mother of five as well as stepmother of four.
Apart from being a devoted family woman, the rural Michigan native gradually climbed the ladder to be the proud owner of different farming, fertilizer, and trucking businesses, too. It honestly appeared as if she was doing wonders, yet as per her children – Amber, TJ, Bock, Zack, Rikkell, and Angalena – she had been under a bit of financial stress for a while. Even her nephew Parker Hardy, who often dropped by to visit her at the 1,500-acre farm in Franklin Township that she shared with Dale and their 9-year-old, iterated the same to police. It was shortly after that she disappeared from home without a trace left behind, on April 24, 2021, only for her remains to be discovered more than three years later on August 17, 2024. She was actually found by officials in a resealed fertilizer tank on the family’s land during the execution of a search warrant, but her cause of death has never been formally clarified.
Dee Ann Warner Was Allegedly a Victim of Domestic Violence
When investigations into Dee’s case began, it quickly came to light that she had had an angry confrontation with two of her employees over money a mere day before she went missing. She was allegedly even furious with her husband for not coming to her defense, with one of her daughters even stating she had heard the 52-year-old say she wanted to file for divorce. Hence, when she suddenly went missing, Dale reportedly believed she might have run off with a new man, whereas some other family members suspected she may have died by suicide. Nevertheless, her loving brother Gregg almost immediately organized a voluntary party of 40 local individuals to search not only the massive farm but also nearby areas, to no avail. Yet, it was only when Dale transferred her assets to a new company that he launched shortly after, allegedly by forging her signature on legal documents, that he came under suspicion.
That’s when detectives began looking deeper into Dale, starting with analyzing his remarks about Dee’s possible alleged infidelity as well as navigating his personal relationship with her. Since her vehicle, social media, phone, and bank accounts were not accessed at any point after she was last seen alive, they knew nobody, not even her husband, touched them for their gain. However, they did uncover that the couple reportedly had an “extremely toxic” relationship, with him allegedly abusing her verbally, physically, and mentally. In fact, her daughter Rikkell claimed that her stepfather allegedly used to stalk Dee, place a tracker on her car, and had been violent on more than one occasion.
Awaiting Trial, Dale Warner is Currently Detained in a County Jail
Based on the aforementioned allegations of domestic abuse and investigative details, Dale was arrested on November 21, 2023, on charges of murder and tampering with evidence. It was roughly 9 months later, on August 17, 2024, when officials found Dee’s remains in a fertilizer tanker while executing a search warrant on the Paragon Road property that the couple once shared. By this point, having pleaded not guilty to the accusations against him, Dale had been detained at Lenawee County Jail on a $20 million bond, which was later reduced to $15 million. So, at the age of 57, that’s where he remains to this day, awaiting trial, which is scheduled to commence on January 27, 2026. According to records, his motive is believed to be financial, but it is imperative to note that he is innocent until proven guilty.
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