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Ben Renick was a snake breeder from Missouri. On June 8, 2017, he was discovered dead in his reptile business facility, where there were thousands of snakes. The first thought was that a snake had killed him, but soon evidence of homicide emerged. The investigation revealed a tangled web of motives such as financial woes, a sizable life insurance policy, and infidelity.
Detectives for the next three years reconstructed the circumstances surrounding Ben's death. His ex-girlfriend, Lynlee Renick, and her ex-boyfriend, Michael Humphrey, were finally arrested and convicted of their participation in the murder. The case included botched attempts at poisoning, changing alibis, and a long legal ordeal.
Ben Renick's murder was the subject of a two-hour special episode called Secrets of the Snake Farm on NBC's popular true crime series Dateline. The show includes interviews with detectives, relatives, and major players in the case, including Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal Devin Foust, who was the lead investigator.
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The Dateline episode first aired on March 24, 2023, and has been re-aired since, such as a rerun on June 27, 2025, at 9 pm ET / 8 pm CT on NBC. The show gives a detailed summary of the investigation and the trial.
Timeline of Ben Renick's murder, from the murder date through the ultimate court verdicts
Detection of the crime
As per People, Ben Renick was found dead on June 8, 2017, at his snake-breeding operation in Montgomery County, Missouri. His wife, Lynlee, found him face-down in a pool of blood and called his brother, Sam, who then called emergency services.
First responders initially believed an escaped python had done it, but shell casings on the ground quickly led them to believe Ben had been shot. The operation housed more than 3,000 reptiles, and Ben was hit with eight gunshot wounds.
Early investigation and suspicions
As per CBS, police interrogated Lynlee Renick numerous times shortly after the murder. She stated that she had been at work at her spa business and only made her way to the facility after receiving news that Ben Renick hadn't brought their children home from school.
Lynlee said she suspected Ben's brother, Sam, based on a family conflict over land. But Sam had a good alibi and was eliminated as a suspect. Lynlee was administered a polygraph test in October of 2017, which she failed, but there wasn't enough evidence to arrest her. The case went cold for almost three years.
Motives and financial troubles
As per the reports, police discovered Lynlee was already in serious debt from her failing spa business. She was also being unfaithful to her husband. Interestingly, Lynlee attempted to cash Ben Renick's $1 million life insurance policy within hours of his murder and tried to sell the family farm and reptile business shortly after.
Detectives also uncovered a failed attempt to poison Ben with Percocet months before the murder. Lynlee’s coworker, Ashley Shaw, testified that Lynlee had asked for help in acquiring the drug and in creating a false alibi by sending texts from Lynlee’s phone.
Break in the case
According to CBS, the inquiry was at a standstill until January 2020, when law enforcers received a tip from Brandon Blackwell, a former boyfriend of Lynlee who was incarcerated. Blackwell stated Lynlee had confessed to conspiring with Michael Humphrey to murder Ben Renick. Humphrey was to carry out the act, but Lynlee ended up shooting Ben herself, Blackwell allegedly told the police.
Phone records verified that Lynlee had been in constant touch with Humphrey on the day of the murder. CCTV footage and cell phone records positioned Lynlee at the crime scene between 4 and 6 pm, and almost two hours elapsed before she called 911.
Arrests and trials
As per People, on January 16, 2020, police arrested Michael Humphrey and Lynlee Renick for Ben Renick's murder. Both initially pointed fingers at one another for having pulled the trigger. Humphrey first went to trial in October 2021. He was found guilty of first-degree murder, but that was reduced to second-degree murder after he shared the location of the secret murder weapon with the police.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a possibility of parole. As per reports, Lynlee's trial started in December 2021. She had accused Humphrey of being the shooter, but the jury convicted her of second-degree murder. Lynlee was sentenced on January 24, 2022, to 16 years in prison, with an estimated release in 2038.
For more details on Ben Renick's murder, watch Dateline.
