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Ben Renick, an internationally respected Missouri snake breeder, was found shot dead inside his Montgomery County reptile facility on June 8, 2017. Initial responders feared an escaped python, but shell casings quickly pointed to homicide.
Investigators later concluded that financial stress, a $1 million life-insurance policy, and an extramarital affair set the stage for Renick’s murder. His wife, Lynlee Renick, and ex-boyfriend Michael Humphrey were eventually convicted in separate trials.
Viewers can revisit the full investigation when Dateline re-airs Season 31, Episode 23, Secrets of the Snake Farm, on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 9 pm ET and 8 pm CT on NBC.
The 2-hour broadcast features correspondent Andrea Canning’s interviews with detectives, first responders, and Ben Renick’s family. It is expected to portray a comprehensive timeline, from the chaotic crime scene drenched in serpents to the courtroom testimony that sealed the defendants’ fates.
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Inside the Investigation of Ben Renick’s Death
As per a CBS News report dated August 6, 2024, coroner Dave Colbert said:
“When I saw that shell casing on the shelf just above his head, I knew this was not from a snake. This was something much more heinous,”
Officers documented 8 gunshot wounds, ruling out any snake involvement. Detectives learned the facility housed more than 3,000 reptiles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet Ben Renick’s finances were unhealthy. The family pressure point proved to be Lynlee’s struggling spa business and mounting loans.
Cell-phone data, footage from the security cameras, and the medical examiner’s timeline all indicated Ben Renick was slain between 4 pm and 6 pm. It was nearly 2 hours before Lynlee placed her 911 call. Shell-casing trajectory tests indicated shots were fired from behind while Ben cleaned enclosures, suggesting an ambush rather than a confrontation.
Poisoning Plot, Life-Insurance Motive, and the Road to Justice
Investigators uncovered a failed attempt months earlier to lace Ben Renick’s protein shake with Percocet. As per the Oxygen report dated April 23, 2023, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sergeant Darrin Haslag recalled:
“We got the call that there was a man dead … it was suspected that it could have been a snake that’s loose in the facility”
This early confusion bought the killers precious minutes. The phone records also revealed frequent contact between Lynlee and Michael Humphrey on the day of the murder and Lynlee’s immediate efforts to cash out Ben’s $1 million policy. Bank statements showed she attempted to sell the 72-acre farm within 2 weeks.
As per a CBS News report dated August 6, 2024, Prosecutor Kelly King told jurors:
“The defendant, Lynlee Renick, shot her husband, Ben, 8 times, killing him … we're going to come back and ask that you to find her guilty”
Testimony from spa coworker Ashley Shaw confirmed the earlier poisoning plot and described forging Lynlee’s alibi while the shooting occurred.
Trial Outcomes and What Dateline Adds Tonight
Humphrey’s 2021 trial ended in a first-degree murder conviction, later reduced to second-degree after he guided police to the hidden murder weapon. He received life with parole eligibility. Lynlee faced jurors in December 2021.
Lynlee's defense blamed Humphrey for pulling the trigger. The jury convicted her of second-degree murder, resulting in a 16-year sentence, and projected for release in 2038. As per the Oxygen interview aired April 23, 2023, Ben Renick’s brother, Sam Renick, lamented:
“He would have had a long, beautiful life to live, and that was stolen from him … Those kids deserved a father, and they were denied that. And the ripple effects of his murder will span generations”
Tonight’s Dateline episode revisits each evidentiary break, includes never-before-aired interrogation footage, and updates viewers on civil litigation tied to insurance proceeds. The program also tracks the custody status of the couple’s children and the dispersal of Renick’s famed snake collection.
Stay tuned for more updates.
