Amid growing pressure, sheriff turns Dee Warner investigation over to MSP
Justice For Dee is a very personal cause to the tight-knit Lenawee County community. What started as sadness turned into frustration, and now — hope.
ADRIAN, Michigan — If you continue down the winding roads of southeast Michigan, you’ll eventually run into Adrian, the seat of Lenawee County. It’s where impassioned community members gathered this afternoon at the county courthouse, to rally against the lack of movement in Dee Warner’s case.
Among the community, and frustrated family and friends of the missing mother and grandmother, Lenawee County Sheriff Troy Bevier. While Bevier is facing criticism, he came with news that has been long awaited.
“Last week, on the 26th, I made an official request to Michigan State Police to become the lead agency for this investigation,” Bevier announced.
While this news is welcomed with open arms, Kathryn Adams, a friend of Dee Warner, says it shouldn’t have taken this long.
“It’s very bittersweet, because we’ve been asking for it for a long time. So, obviously it’s sweet in a sense that that’s what we’ve been asking for, but it’s a little bitter because it took so long,” Adams explained.
When pressed about the many concerns from residents in his community, including a potential conflict of interest involving a detective on the case, Sheriff Bevier didn’t want to go into detail, adding that the case now lies in the hands of MSP.
While it didn’t appear to rally attendees that the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Office could, or even wanted to dive deeper into the case, they did acknowledge people they DO see as doing the work. Private detective Billy Little Jr. and former homicide detective Chris McDonough, in particular.
Little was recruited by Dee Warner’s family to conduct his own investigation into the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Since then, he has been able to speak with about 100 people and gather evidence that, according to family members, was laughed off by sheriff’s office detectives.
He and McDonough have hosted a series of live podcast conversations on his YouTube show, in which they discuss the facts of the case, based on the evidence he’s gathered.
“We support law enforcement, we have their back 100% — but you also have to hold them accountable. That’s the unpleasant part of the job,” said Little.
“The end game here, ultimately, is that law enforcement and the family go hand-in-hand through the doors of the courtroom, and that justice is done for that victim. And Dee is the victim here,” McDonough explained.
Obviously, this investigation continues, as it’s in the hands of an office that has the resources to handle it.
To view previous coverage of this case, click here.
