She Vanished From Her Home, But Her Security Cameras Never Picked Up Her Leaving, And Although Extensive Searches Were Held For Her, No Evidence Has Been Found Except A Set Of Her Keys
Born on June 30, 1968, Dee Ann Warner grew up in Lenawee County, Michigan– a quaint farming community where her family had put down roots five generations prior.
During her first marriage, Dee also had four children. However, the marriage eventually dissolved, and by 2006, she had gotten wed for a second time.
Dee met her second husband, Dale, while working at a local agricultural sales company. And after tying the knot, the pair had a daughter– who was just 9-years-old at the time Dee vanished.
Leading up to her disappearance, Dee was 52 and living in a Munger Road home in Tecumseh, Michigan, with her husband and daughter. She also ran her own farming and trucking company based out of the barns in her backyard.
In 2021, though, things seemingly went sideways. On April 24 of that year, Dee first went to an eyelash appointment, visited her older children at their homes, and brought her daughter to a soccer game.
At 8:34 p.m. that evening, a family friend picked up Dee and Dale’s daughter to watch her over the weekend.
Earlier in the day, however, Dee had gotten into an argument with one of her employees. And that night, they had another business-related argument.
Still, at 10:52 p.m., a friend texted Dee to ask how she had been doing. She simply responded, “K.”
Dale alleged that he gave his wife a massage before she fell asleep lying on the living room floor.
Crime Stoppers of Lenawee County – pictured above is Dee
Afterward, Dale claimed to have carried Dee to the couch before heading to bed.
So, by the next morning of April 25, she was reportedly still sleeping on the couch while Dale headed to work at 6:30 a.m.
About two and a half hours later, however, Dee’s adult daughter stopped by with her boyfriend and daughter to have Sunday breakfast– which was a weekly tradition.
But upon arriving at the Munger Road home, Dee was nowhere to be found. Moreover, she was never seen or heard from again.
Once Dee’s family failed to locate her, they contacted the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office to file a missing person report.
It was discovered that her cell phone and purse were also missing. However, both of Dee’s vehicles had been left behind– still parked in her garage.
Through phone record analysis, authorities found that at 11:00 p.m. on the evening of April 24, Dee’s phone had switched over from WiFi to cellular service. Then, by 2:30 a.m., the device had died.
Since then, Dee’s bank account, phone records, and social media accounts have not been active.
When speaking with authorities, Dale shared his belief that Dee had traveled out of the country with another man that morning. However, surveillance cameras never captured any footage of Dee leaving the property. Her passport also had not been used.
In the beginning, officers from the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office were originally leading the investigation. Then, Sheriff Troy Bevier eventually called upon the FBI and Michigan State Police to aid in digs and ground-penetrating radar searchers as they looked for Dee’s body.
Multiple searches ensued during the investigation with the help of cadaver dogs, foot patrol teams, radar systems, drones, and helicopters. But strangely, the only shred of evidence recovered was a set of keys that had belonged to Dee.
Dee’s loved ones revealed that she had been planning to sell her business prior to her disappearance. The Michigan State Police took over her case investigation on August 9, 2022, and by September 2022, Dee’s loved ones pushed for closure. More specifically, they filed a petition to establish her death.
Her family and friends claim that a plethora of facts point to the likelihood of Dee being deceased. Some of these factors include how Dee left her 9-year-old child alone without a vehicle and the fact that no footprints exiting the property were ever discovered.
Additionally, drone searches that spanned over 4,000 acres of water and land surrounding Dee’s home never yielded any answers. That’s why Dee’s loved ones believe they have exhausted all options.
“I love Dee Warner as any brother would love his sister. I initially did not want to believe that Dee was deceased. I have searched every lead possible over the past year in order to find her. I retained several investigators, including persons who specialize in homicide investigations,” Dee’s brother, Gregg Hardy, said in his affidavit.
“Despite holding out hope that we would find my sister, I reluctantly, and with a broken heart, came to the conclusion that Dee Warner is deceased.”
Still, investigators have not stopped searching for the 52-year-old mother. On May 2, 2023, a spokesperson for the Michigan State Police confirmed that new searches in connection with Dee’s case are being conducted in Lenawee County along M-50. Authorities are reportedly “looking for leads and information” but did not elaborate any further.
At the time of her disappearance, Dee was five foot four, weighed about 140 pounds, and had dyed-blonde hair and green eyes. There is currently a $50,000 reward being offered for information that leads to her discovery. If you have any information regarding Dee’s disappearance or whereabouts, you are urged to contact the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office at (517) 263-0524 or the Michigan State Police at (855) 642-4847.
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