Ben Renick, a snake breeder in New Florence, Missouri, was discovered shot to death in June 2017. The probe, however, came to a halt due to a conspicuous lack of evidence.
A prison inmate informed authorities he knew who killed Ben a few years later, pointing the finger at his wife, Lynlee Renick.
The police subsequently revealed a scheme to assassinate Ben, which led to Lynlee’s conviction, according to NBC News’ ‘Dateline: Venom.’ So, shall we investigate what transpired?
What is Lynlee Renick’s Background?
Lynlee Jo Gallatin married Benjamin Renick in 2014, and the couple shared a home with their daughter and her ex-son. husband’s On June 8, 2017, about 5:45 p.m., Lynlee received a message from the school stating that the children had not been picked up.
She was concerned since she expected Ben to pick them up from school. When Lynlee returned to his facility later, she discovered him dead, prompting a frantic 911 call.
Lynlee first claimed that a snake had crushed Ben, but detectives discovered shot casings at the scene, turning the case into a murder inquiry.
Only a few years later, when Brandon Blackwell, the father of one of Lynlee’s children, alleged that she admitted to killing Ben, did the case take up steam.
The police soon discovered that Lynlee wasn’t alone in her scheme, and that she was assisted by two others: Ashley Shaw and Michael Humphrey.
During the inquiry, the authorities discovered that Lynlee had previously attempted to murder Ben. She had given him a Percocet-laced protein drink a few weeks before the murder, but it had merely made him ill.
Ashley Shaw, a coworker at Lynlee’s struggling spa, stepped in to assist her. Then Lynlee approached an ex-boyfriend, Michael, about assisting her in getting rid of Ben, and he agreed.
Lynlee said Ashley and Michael aided her because she felt Ben was sexually abusive. As a result, Michael and Lynlee headed to Ben’s breeding facility on June 8, 2017 to kill him.
Michael claimed he heard a gunshot and saw Lynlee with a gun in her hand during Lynlee’s trial. Michael also led the police to the murder weapon as part of a plea bargain with the prosecution for a reduced sentence.
Lynlee testified in her own defence at the trial in December 2021. She admitted to being at the facility when Ben died, but said Michael was the one who killed him.
Lynlee stated that she went there to speak with Ben about the divorce and that she had Michael with her for support.
“I walked up behind Michael, and as Michael turned around, I saw a revolver in his hands, and I screamed and ran outside,” she explained. Lynlee then said she dashed to her car, believing something violent had occurred, when Michael arrived later and begged her to get in the car.
Must Read: Murder Of Snake Breeder ‘Ben Renick’: Who Killed Him And Why?
What happened to Lynlee Renick?
Lynlee’s motive, according to the prosecution, was monetary because her firm was floundering and she stood to profit from Ben’s life insurance policy.
They presented text evidence from the day of the murder between Lynlee and Michael. There were other texts she sent to Ben after he died, which the prosecution claims she did despite knowing he was no longer alive.
Lynlee admitted to lying to the police at first during her testimony, saying, “I lied a lot, and I understand… how this looks.” That narrative stayed with me and I never let go of it. I’m not sure how to describe how much I never wanted my spouse to die.”
Lynlee was convicted guilty of second-degree murder and armed criminal action by the jury. She was sentenced to 13 years in prison for the murder and 3 years in prison for the other crime in January 2022, when she was 33 years old.
She is still detained at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center in Vandalia, Missouri, according to prison records.
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