Search continues for Dee Ann Warner

TIPTON, Mich. (WTVG) - The family of missing Lenawee County woman, Dee Ann Warner, is speaking out about what they call new evidence in her disappearance.

“Something has happened here that is dreadfully wrong and somebody has to be responsible for it, and we think we know who that person is,” Gregg Hardy, the brother of Warner, said during a news conference Monday.

The 52-year-old was last seen at her home on Munger Road in Franklin Township on the early morning of April 25, 2021.

Billy Little, a investigative attorney from Missouri, who is working with Warner’s family, released evidence from his own investigation that he says points to who is responsible for what happened to Warner.

The Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office has not named a suspect in the case, instead calling Warner’s husband, Dale Warner, a person of interest.

“Dale knew early on in the investigation since he was the last person to have seen Dee, and is the husband, that he is a person of interest,” said Sheriff Troy Bevier in a statement to 13abc.

Little says Warner got into a “heated argument” with her husband before going missing.

“She had the intent of filing for divorce and selling the business,” Little said. “They were alone on that property and she was never seen again.”

Little says they have collected key pieces of evidence, including what he calls “strange activity” on Warner’s cell phone the last night she was seen.

“Her phone switches from WiFi to cell, so somebody is playing with the phone,” he said. “At 2:30 a.m., her phone goes dead forever, so while she is sleeping all this funny stuff is going on.”

Little says he shared what he found with the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office. He says he asked authorities whether any of the information he presented was not true.

“I do not want to spread disinformation,” Little said. “They did not tell me that anything in my presentation was not factual.

Sheriff Troy Bevier is not commenting on specifics about the case, but released a statement saying in part:

“The Task Force comprised of the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office, the Michigan State Police and the FBI have been working every day to determine the truth about what happened to Dee, find closure for the family, and hold those responsible accountable.”

Larry Leib, who is the attorney representing Dale Warner, shared the following statement in response to Little’s findings:

“Dale Warner misses his wife very much. His daughter, Angelina, who is 10-years-old, misses her mom. Dale Warner had nothing to do with her disappearance, nor did anyone around him, and for the last year there has been no evidence that connects him or the people close to him in Dee Warner’s disappearance.

Dale has been available, he has been interviewed, and his property has been searched, including his home, his office, his warehouses where, he keeps his equipment, multiple times by the FBI, Michigan State Police and the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department.

He has continued to cooperate with law enforcement since the day his wife disappeared and will continue to do so.

I understand that Billy Little has come to town to investigate this case, and to our knowledge, he has not found anything that has not already been found and investigated by law enforcement. If he has information that he should turn it over to the law enforcement community immediately.

Dale Warner looks forward to hearing from his wife at some point, and that she is alive and okay.”

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