ADRIAN, Mich — The husband of long-missing Lenawee County woman Dee Ann Warner was arrested Wednesday afternoon.
Dee Ann Warner has not been seen since April 2021. Her husband, Dale Warner, has been found in contempt of court and was arrested Wednesday during a conservatorship hearing.
"There were many requests for information. I didn't believe it was in compliance with the court's orders and, obviously, the court agreed as well," said John Polderman, the lawyer for Dee's conservator, Charles Bullock.
Bullock is tasked with obtaining financial documents from Dale and his personal assistant, Mark Weisberg, to assess and protect Dee's estate.
Polderman asked Lenawee County Probate Court Judge Catherine Sala to find both Dale Warner and Mark Weisberg in contempt of court for not following the court's order and producing the proper documentation.
Dale did not testify during the hearing, but Weisberg did. During his testimony, he admitted to physically blocking Polderman from reviewing financial records when Polderman visited the Warner farm. He also admitted to not submitting some checks, but claimed it was an oversight.
After Judge Sala found both Dale and Weisberg in contempt of court, they were put in cuffs and transported to the Lenawee County jail for an indefinite amount of time, until they produce the proper documentation per the court.
"We've been waiting to see that for a long time," said Kathryn Adams, head of the Justice For Dee movement. "Just to see him be held accountable for what he's done and been doing all of this time since Dee's disappearance. We just, we needed to see that."
Dee's family has not been shy to point fingers at Dale since her disappearance. They believe he had something to do with it.
"It seems a little unreal," said Gregg Hardy, Dee's older brother. "We've waited so long for anything to come to fruition in this case."
In May, Michigan State Police conducted a search for evidence regarding Dee Warner's disappearance.
Her family is in a contentious court battle, attempting to have her legally declared dead two years after her disappearance. Initially, Dale filed an objection to the efforts. He withdrew his objection during a pretrial hearing a week after MSP's search in May.
On Aug. 16, Judge Sala will make a ruling on whether or not to have Dee declared legally dead. If she does declare her dead, Dee's family said they will file a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Dale.