(NewsNation) — Investigators have found human remains during the search for Dee Warner, who was last seen in 2021 and was declared legally dead in 2024.
Michigan State Police said in a statement Sunday that, while acting on a search warrant for a property owned by her husband, 56-year-old Dale Warner, remains were found in an empty tank meant for anhydrous ammonia.
A Tuesday autopsy has not yet made a positive ID. The manner and cause of death are also unknown at this time, but further testing will be done.
“The remains are currently in the process of being recovered and there will be a great deal of work and testing completed before positive identification is made,” the agency said on X. “The family of Dee Warner has been contacted and advised of the findings. This continues to be an ongoing investigation.”
Dee Warner’s disappearance
The mother of five disappeared on April 24, 2021. Dale Warner was charged in November with open murder and tampering with evidence. He has pleaded not guilty, though Dee Warner’s family members have told NewsNation they believe he was involved in her death.
“She has been murdered, in my opinion,” her brother, Gregg Hardy, said in 2022.
“I know that if my mom was still alive, she would have contacted one of us. She would have never left my little sister with him ever,” said Rikkell Bock, Dee Warner’s daughter.
Dale Warner maintains his evidence.
“We believe that a fair and objective review of the evidence — or more precisely the lack of evidence in this case — will show that Mr. Warner did not kill his wife,” his attorney, Mary Chartier, told The Associated Press when he was charged in November.
His pretrial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 4, 2024, AP reports.