ADRIAN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A judge on Friday ruled that Dale Warner will stand trial for the murder of his wife Dee.
Dee Warner was last seen in April of 2021 near her home in Tecumseh. Her body has never been found and her family believes she was a victim of domestic abuse.
Dale Warner has been locked up since November on charges of open murder and tampering with evidence. The Lenawee County man has pleaded not guilty.
Watch our previous report when Dale Warner was charged with murder nearly two years after his wife's disappearance:
In the continuation of Dale Warner's preliminary hearing on Friday, his defense attorneys suggested Dee Warner may not have been murdered at all, pointing out that her body has never been found.
But the judge ruled there is enough evidence to put Dale Warner on trial for her murder. That evidence includes extensive searches of the area as well as Dee Warner's phone, bank, prescription records and more.
Watch a previous report of Dee Warner's family fighting to get her legally declared dead:
“It is also very clear that the last time anyone has heard from Dee Warner was on April 24th, 2021,” Judge Anna Frushour said, adding that authorities are continuing to investigate and search data bases that could reveal information in the case.
Dale Warner's trial is set for June 20.