Why was missing Dee Ann Warner’s husband arrested? Details explored

The husband of missing Lenawee County woman Dee Ann Warner was arrested Wednesday, August 9, after being found in contempt of court. Dale Warner was taken into custody during a conservatorship hearing on Wednesday after failing to provide the financial documents sought by Dee Ann Warner's attorney.

Dee Ann Warner has been missing since April 2021. Family and friends suspect that her husband, Dale Warner, was behind her disappearance, as the couple allegedly had an acrimonious marriage.

According to multiple reports, Dale and Dee, who are still legally married, are co-owners and business partners of several operations. Dale is suspected of having killed Dee Ann for financial reasons.

In September 2022, a court order directed Dale Warner to show transactions and financial activities related to the businesses to assess and protect Dee’s estate. Dale Warner was arrested Wednesday after refusing to comply with the court order.

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Dale Warner allegedly blocked Dee Ann Warner's attorney from reviewing financial records

On Wednesday, Dale Warner, along with his assistant and accountant Mark Weisberg, were found to be in contempt of court by Lenawee County Probate Judge Catherine A. Sala. They were accused of willfully blocking Dee Ann Warner's attorney from obtaining the documents related to the couple's business.

John Polderman, the lawyer for Dee's conservator, Charles Bullock, said;

"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."

During the conservatorship hearing, Weisberg testified to thwarting Polderman's efforts to review financial records when Polderman visited the Warner farm. Shortly after, Judge Sala found Weisberg and Warner in contempt of court.

The missing woman’s family has been seeking a declaration of death for Dee, which has been continually blocked by her husband. However, in May 2023, Dale Warner withdrew his objection to Dee's family's efforts to have her legally declared dead. At the time, in a statement to WTTOL Dale’s attorney, Larry Leib said:

"Dale is really at a point now where he wants to put this behind him. After two years of looking, searching and hoping, he's comfortable with allowing her to be declared deceased and hopefully can move on."

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What we know about Dee Ann Warner's disappearance

The 52-year-old missing woman Dee Ann Warner was last seen in the early morning of April 25, 2021, at her residence on Munger Road in Franklin Township.

In May 2023, law enforcement officials searched various sites in Southeast Michigan on the property that Dee and her husband Dale own off of Paragon Road after they reportedly received a tip. Dee Ann’s friend Kathryn Adam expressed her frustration over the absence of substantial leads two years into Dee's disappearance. At the time, in a Statement to ABC 7, she said:

“You just want answers, you know. You want people held accountable... you know... you see all these other cases going a lot quicker and you wonder why that’s not us. Even if it’s a bracelet, her phone, her case, car keys, anything, something that can help the investigation at this point, that’s all we want to see.”

However, authorities have yet to find a lead in the case.