TOLEDO, Ohio —
At a preliminary hearing in May, Dee Warner's daughter, Rikkell Bock, testified that her mother and Dale Warner's marriage was a tumultuous one.
"There was a lot of yelling. There was a lot of cussing, slamming things, maybe," she said at the time.
Tina Robinson, executive director of Butterflies 15, a center for helping survivors of abuse, says yelling and screaming is one of the many signs to look out for in an abusive or toxic relationship.
What starts out as verbal abuse could escalate further.
"An abusive relationship starts from anywhere of verbal, physical, sexual, or financial," Robinson said.
It is unknown if Dale abused his wife, but according to Bock's testimony, he more than just yelled at Dee. He allegedly placed a tracking device on her car.
Bock said at the preliminary hearing in May she was aware of Dale tracking Dee and that her mother showed her the device.
Robinson says tracking a partner is abusive, toxic and shows a desire to have power and control over someone else, which is the root of abuse.
"They're going to do everything to you to get that power," she said. "With that tracking device, that gave him power over her and that's what made him feel good."
The dangerous part of an abusive relationship is trying to leave.
"They won't have control over you. They won't have that clutch on you. They won't have that power," Robinson said.
Bock testified that in the months leading up to her disappearance in April 2021, Dee regularly discussed divorcing Dale.
A body believed to be Dee's was found more than three years after she disappeared on a property owned by her and Dale, her family confirmed to WTOL 11 on Sunday.
Dale has not been convicted on any charges. He was charged with murder in Dee's disappearance and is scheduled to appear in a pre-trial hearing on Sept. 4.
If you or someone you know are a victim of abuse, you can get help through the National Domestic Violence Hotline by clicking here.