Dateline: The Day Dee Disappeared- Full timeline of her shocking disappearance and murder

Yesterday, NBC dropped a new one-hour Dateline episode named The Day Dee Disappeared at 10 p.m. ET. The episode covers a shocking story about the disappearance and murder of a Michigan woman, Dee Warner, whose body was found by Lenawee County Sheriff's deputies inside a sealed fertilizer tank.

Citizens last saw the 52-year-old woman at her home on Munger Road in Franklin Township in April 2021. According to the investigation reports, she, her husband, and one or two of their employees had a dispute over the finances of the Warners’ farming businesses. Her husband, Dale Warner, was later indicted for her murder, and the trial officially opened on February 12, 2021.

In 2022, the sheriff's office asked the Michigan State Police to search Dee Ann Warner. After two years, the court ordered Dale to go to trial for his wife's death after her dead body was found on his property. In January, Dale's trial began at Lenawee Circuit Court, and after two months, he was charged with second‑degree murder and tampering with evidence related to his wife's death.

Continue reading more about the full timeline of The Day Dee Disappeared.

Here's the timeline of what happened to Dee Warner and its aftermath

Michigan State Police started an investigation after Dee Warner's disappearance

The Day Dee Disappeared revealed that on April 24, 2021, Dee Warner was last seen at her home on Munger Road in Franklin Township, Lenawee County, during the evening hours. The sheriff’s office started searching for her by taking help from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the FBI, the Michigan State Police, and other agencies.

After that night, Dee's family and friends lost all communication with her via both phone and Facebook. On August 9, 2022, Michigan State Police officially took control of the investigation. Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier said,

"Having the Michigan State Police take over the Dee Warner case is in the best interest of the investigation, best for the family, and is the right thing to do."

Implementation of search warrants by MSP and detectives

Trailer cut snap of the episode (Image via YouTube/@Dateline NBC)

On September 27, 2022, Dee’s family members thought that the judge would declare her dead. But on May 2, 2023, detectives and Michigan State Police jointly carried out search warrants at several properties in Lenawee County as part of the ongoing investigation into the missing case of Dee.

According to Dee's family, investigators searched multiple locations more than two years after she went missing.

The investigation team found no traces of Dee Warner

As per the court's records, the investigation team searched more than 4,000 acres of land with drones and other tools but found no trace of the mother of five. Therefore, on May 12, 2023, attorneys presented the investigation team's evidence in probate court to declare Dee legally dead.

However, Dee’s children, her brother, and close friends submitted affidavits to the court. According to them, something went very wrong on the night of her disappearance when Dee told Dale that she wanted a divorce.

Dale’s lawyer, Larry Leib, stated that his client was not involved in Dee’s disappearance. Later, on November 21, 2023, Michigan State Police announced that an arrest had been made, though the suspect’s name was not released.

The Lenawee County judge declares Dee Warner dead

A scene from The Day Dee Disappeared (Image via YouTube/@Dateline NBC)

On November 22, 2023, police confirmed that Dale had been taken into custody and was charged with murder. According to Detective First Lieutenant and Commander of the First District Special Investigative Section, Michael Dillon,

"Working a no-body homicide brings on unique challenges. The detectives on this case have done a phenomenal job with the investigation, and working collaboratively with the Lenawee County Prosecutor."

On March 13, 2024, the judge of Lenawee County legally declared that Dee Warner was dead. The judge said that she was dead after two days of hearings in 2023.

Dee Warner's remains were found in an empty tank

On June 7, 2024, the judge binds over Dale Warner for trial. After the preliminary hearing, the judge announced that the detectives and police have enough evidence against Dale Warner, and so he should face trial for Dee’s murder. But his defense lawyers argued that Dee might not have been killed, noting that her body has never been found.

However, the judge ruled that the evidence was sufficient to move forward with the trial. That evidence includes extensive searches of the area and the records from Dee’s phone, bank, prescriptions, and other sources.

On August 18, 2024, the trial continued with more evidence from the Michigan State Police. According to them, on August 21, 2024, human remains were found during a search on property owned by Dale Warner. Investigators said the search warrant was carried out at a site in Lenawee County.

Dee’s brother told 7 News Detroit that the remains were located inside a sealed tank, which is normally used to store anhydrous ammonia. However, the tank contained no ammonia and was closed at both ends. On August 20, 2024, police confirmed that an autopsy had been completed, but further testing is required to confirm the identity of the remains.

The Warner family files a $100M lawsuit

Dateline: The Day Dee Disappeared (Image via YouTube/@Dateline NBC)

On March 2, 2025, Michigan State Police arrested Dale Warner’s son, but the charges were dropped on May 13, 2025. Dale's children filed a lawsuit against him and asked for a compensation amount of $100 million because Dale was connected to Dee's disappearance and death.

Attorney Todd Flood and Dee’s family announced the lawsuit. Flood said,

“Hopefully this day can move us closer so they can get closure, so they can find some justice for their mother. This has been a long slog for quite some time.”

How was Dee Warner killed by her husband?

Anhydrous ammonia fertilizer tank (Image via YouTube/@Dateline NBC)

The trial for Dale Warner began on Thursday, February 12, 2026. During the trial, prosecutors proved that Dale killed her wife in April 2021 after she asked for a divorce and division of assets.

Inside the court, the prosecutors presented a tarp, duct tape, and farm equipment, which Dale used to move her body. Evidence proved that he welded her dead body inside a dual‑sided anhydrous ammonia fertilizer tank on his property.

The tank was then repainted and marked with a “Do Not Use” tag. He did this to keep her body hidden for more than three years until police discovered it in August 2024. Later, the forensics team confirmed that Dee died from strangulation and blunt force trauma.