#SnakeBreederMurder – Jurors are seeing photos of the crime scene that include Ben Renick’s body. Lynlee Renick, defendant, begins to cry. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/NcpUoOdvmH
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) December 6, 2021
A woman on trial for allegedly murdering her husband appeared to cry as jurors saw crime scene photos including the victim’s body. Lynlee Renick, 33, appeared to breathe deeply and teared up during testimony Monday morning.
She shot and killed her husband Ben Renick, 29, in cold blood at the man’s snake breeding facility back on June 8, 2017, after failing to murder him with poison, prosecutors said in Boone County, Missouri. Authorities have said that Ben was going to leave her because her spa business was bleeding money.
Her defense maintained that her ex-boyfriend was the gunman, and she did not know the shooting was going to happen.
#SnakeBreederMurder – Shell casings found throughout the snake farm building. In this photo you see a shell casing and you can see a snake inside that container. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/SqpM2wjWkk
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) December 6, 2021
Defendant Renick allegedly recruited friend and employee Ashley Shaw to help plan her husband’s death. An attempt to murder Ben by poisoning a protein shake failed, so they went to Lynlee’s ex-boyfriend Michael Humphrey, authorities said.
Humphrey did not agree to carry out the shooting, but he provided the murder weapon, prosecutors said. Lynlee introduced him to her husband as a potential snake buyer, but she used this opportunity to shoot Ben eight times, at least four in the back, prosecutor Kelly King said.
SNAKE BREEDER MURDER TRIAL – NEW TRIAL MONDAY. MO v. Lynlee Renick. Renick is charged with killing her husband Ben Renick. Ben was a world-famous snake breeder. This case has a lot of twists and turns and players! Jury is being chosen today from another county. Openings Mon pic.twitter.com/joXlxTtYDu
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) December 3, 2021
Both Shaw and Humphrey cut deals to testify at the trial. Humphrey was originally convicted of first-degree murder but managed to get this knocked down to second-degree murder.
#SnakeBreederMurder – Michael Humphrey was convicted in Oct. for first-degree murder in the death of Ben Renick. AFTER convictions he cuts a deal with the state to testify against Lynlee AND led them to the murder weapon in exchanged to knock conviction down to 2nd degree murder pic.twitter.com/lJLw53Tovc
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) December 6, 2021
Shaw dodged charges outright. She testified Monday that Lynlee Renick approached her and accused of Ben of abuse. Lynlee said that she woke up to find Ben raping her, according to Shaw. She also said her husband was “mentally abusive” during arguments, Shaw said.
Prosecutor Kevin Zoellner asked her why she participated in the plot.
“I don’t know,” Shaw said. She said it was the biggest mistake she made in her life.
Defense lawyer Timothy Hesemann said it was Humphrey who shot Ben Renick, and that his client did not know it was going to happen. He suggested that the men got into a confrontation amid Ben knowing that Lynlee was being unfaithful to him, and Humphrey knowing Ben was abusive.
“It’s not clear what passes between Michael and Ben, but it’s probably not good,” Hesemann said. “Because Ben knows Lynlee is not being faithful, and Michael knows Ben is abusing her.” The attorney suggested Ben brought up that Humphrey was must have been one of Lynlee’s “boyfriends.” Humphrey perhaps brought up the abuse in turn, Hesemann said in his hypothetical.
“Something happens,” the attorney said. “A gun comes out.”
#SnakeBreederMurder – Defense opening statements points to Michael Humphrey as the shooter and Lynlee Renick not knowing he was going to shoot her husband that day. @LawCrimeNetwork pic.twitter.com/cnIvgnr81B
— Cathy Russon (@cathyrusson) December 6, 2021
[Screenshot via Law&Crime Network]
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