Murder trial starts Monday for Lynlee Renick, accused of killing her reptile breeding husband
COLUMBIA, Mo (KMIZ)
The murder trial of Lynlee Renick is set to start on Monday. Renick is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of her husband, Ben Renick.
According to court records, the trial is set to start under Judge Kevin Crane in the Boone County Courthouse at 8:30 a.m.
Prosecutors say Lynlee shot and killed her husband on their Montgomery County property on June 8, 2017.
Prior to his death in early 2017, Ben Renick was in the process of selling his snake breeding business for $1.2 million.
On the day of murder Ben Renick, Lynlee's ex-boyfriend, Michael Humphrey allegedly drove Lynlee to her and Ben's home in Montgomery County. During this time, Ashley Shaw an employee of Lynlee's Columbia spa, stayed back at the spa to send text messages to Lynlee's phone to cover their tracks.
According to a probable cause statement, shortly after Lynlee and Humphrey arrived at the home, Lynlee shot Ben multiple times while he was tending to his snakes in his reptile facility.
The statement then says Lynlee and Humphrey cleaned up the shell casings and the two left the scene.
In January of 2020, three years after Ben's death, Brandon Blackwell went to the Missouri Highway Patrol saying Lynlee had confessed to him about the murder. This led to the arrests of Lynlee and Humphrey and they both were charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action.
According to court documents, Lynlee was facing financial issues with her Columbia based spa and she was fearful Ben had the means to take their children away from her. This led prosecutors to believe Lynlee had a financial motive to kill Ben.
Ashley Shaw reached a deal with prosecutors and was not charged in the murder.
A jury found her ex-boyfriend Michael Humphrey guilty of first-degree murder for helping with the murder in October. He is scheduled to be sentenced in January of 2022.
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