ADRIAN, Mich. — After an exhausting day of compelling testimony from two witnesses Wednesday, a Michigan judge is expected to rule in September whether a Lenawee County woman missing for more than two years can be legally declared dead.
Dee Warner was 52 when she was last seen in the early morning of April 25, 2021, at her residence on Munger Road in Tipton, Mich.
In September 2022, Warner's adult daughter, Rikkell Bock, of Tecumseh, filed a petition with the Lenawee County Probate Court, asking authorities to declare her mother legally dead, saying she has not had any contact with friends or family since her disappearance.
"My mom would never leave my little sister. My mom would never leave her kids," Bock said on the stand at Wednesday's hearing.
The hearing, which began with proceedings earlier this year, continued Wednesday before Judge Catherine Sala. For the first time Wednesday, a Michigan State Police detective working on the case testified that authorities consider Dee Warner's husband, Dale Warner, a suspect.
In their petition, Dee Warner's family also claimed that since her disappearance, Dale Warner has used power of attorney to take out loans against his wife's property and that her assets are being depleted.
Affidavits and testimony in the case from friends and family members say there is enough circumstantial evidence that the devoted mother would never willingly abandon her family to conclude that she died sometime around April 25, 2021.
After several court hearings, Dale Warner dropped his objections to the family's petition in May 2023, clearing the way for the judge to rule on the issue. Her family has said they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Dale Warner if a judge declares her legally dead.
During Wednesday morning's testimony, Michigan State Police Detective Daniel Drewyor testified that authorities are investigating Dale Warner as a suspect in his wife's murder.
Authorities have continued to investigate Dee Warner's disappearance as the probate court considers the family's petition to have her declared dead.
"Based off of my experience and that of my partner and the training the department has given us, Dee Warner is deceased," Drewyor said.
In May 2023, law enforcement officers executed search warrants for 70 properties off M-50 between Beebe and Pentecost highways in Lenawee County, looking for evidence in the case.
On Aug. 9, Dale Warner was found in contempt of court for not cooperating with the conservator for Dee Warner's estate as the conservator attempted to obtain financial documents related to the case. Dale Warner and his personal assistant, Mark Weisberg, were arrested and remain in custody. He joined Wednesday's court hearing via Zoom from jail.
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