(WXYZ) — Starting Thursday, a case that has gripped Southeast Michigan for years will finally head to trial, as opening statements are set to begin in the murder of Dale Warner.
Dale is accused of killing his wife, Dee Warner, back in 2021. It's a case we've followed from the very beginning.
Dee was last seen on April 25, 2021, at her home in Tecumseh. In November 2023, Dale was arrested and charged with her disappearance, depsite no body being found.
Then, in March 2024, Dee was legally declared dead, and in August 2024, her remains were found inside a welded-shut tank on a Lenawee County property belonging to Dale.
The trial is a long time coming for Dee's family. Her brother, Gregg, tells me Dee's loved ones are bracing to hear evidence and see the defendant, Dale, once again.
Watch below: Michigan State Police say arrest made in connection with 2021 murder of Dee Warner
"It’s been nearly five years and you know it’s been a long battle, but we’re very grateful that we’re there," Gregg Hardy, Dee's brother, told us.
Hardy and the rest of Dee's family say they will fill the Lenawee County courtroom.
"I have been anticipating the opportunity to hear how you defend the indefensible," Hardy said. "There’s no question, some of it is going to be gruesome, it’s certainly going to be agonizing and play hour by Hour on your emotions."
Dale was bound over for trial before investigators found Dee's remains sealed in an ammonia tank on Dale's property in 2024, over three years after she went missing.
Watch below: Dee Warner's family speaks after remains were identified as her body
University of Detroit Mercy Law School Professor Larry Dubin talked to us about how attorneys may approach opening statements.
"I think the lawyers in opening statement will try to put some reason for doubt," he said. "Or why the location in finding the body, which shows perhaps a connection to the defendant, still might not have involved the defendant. You want to open the minds of the jurors to the possibility that the defendant is now guilty, in this case, first-degree murder."
Finding a jury was the first hurdle lawyers overcame last week before the trial could get started. It's expected to last about seven weeks, and Dubin said there may not be many witnesses called.
Hardy is on that witness list, and said this trial has been a long time coming.
Watch below: Children of Dee Warner file $100M lawsuit against husband charged in her death
