1 00:00:07,574 --> 00:00:11,578 [Narrator] A renowned Missouri snake breeder is found dead. 2 00:00:16,282 --> 00:00:18,451 It could've been a snake that's loose in the facility. 3 00:00:18,485 --> 00:00:19,619 And the facility had 4 00:00:19,652 --> 00:00:21,588 somewhere between three and four thousand snakes. 5 00:00:21,621 --> 00:00:22,856 It's a little unnerving. 6 00:00:23,356 --> 00:00:26,626 He is on the ground in the barn, covered in blood. 7 00:00:27,961 --> 00:00:31,564 [Narrator] Until investigators find something more sinister 8 00:00:31,598 --> 00:00:33,433 slithering about... 9 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:35,802 [Marcus] There was legitimate concern, 10 00:00:36,269 --> 00:00:38,838 and we have to vet all the information that we get 11 00:00:38,872 --> 00:00:40,140 to get to the truth. 12 00:00:41,374 --> 00:00:43,443 [Narrator] To get justice for this father of two, 13 00:00:43,476 --> 00:00:47,147 investigators must sort through potential motives. 14 00:00:47,947 --> 00:00:49,416 [Lucas] He was very successful. 15 00:00:49,449 --> 00:00:52,819 He had cash around, all these valuable snakes. 16 00:00:53,453 --> 00:00:57,290 There may still be investors in Frank Renick's past business 17 00:00:57,323 --> 00:00:59,592 that were still upset with the family. 18 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:01,761 [Narrator] But ultimately, 19 00:01:01,795 --> 00:01:05,131 the source of the venom is found close to home. 20 00:01:05,532 --> 00:01:07,600 We began to learn that their relationship 21 00:01:07,634 --> 00:01:09,469 wasn't quite as good as she said it was. 22 00:01:09,969 --> 00:01:11,404 [Marcus] We kinda operate under the guise, 23 00:01:11,438 --> 00:01:14,074 if you have nothing to hide, you hide nothing. 24 00:01:18,345 --> 00:01:21,715 She covered up her actions and lied countlessly. 25 00:01:22,349 --> 00:01:24,684 She was not willing to walk away. 26 00:01:27,420 --> 00:01:36,763 [music] 27 00:01:37,564 --> 00:01:38,865 [music] 28 00:01:38,898 --> 00:01:41,835 [Narrator] Nestled in between Saint Louis and Columbia, 29 00:01:42,535 --> 00:01:47,107 Montgomery County, Missouri is a quiet stop along I-70. 30 00:01:48,008 --> 00:01:52,679 But on June 8th, 2017, at 6:36 P.M., 31 00:01:53,146 --> 00:01:55,882 911 operators receive a frantic call 32 00:01:55,915 --> 00:02:00,153 from 29-year-old Lynlee Renick that shatters the calm 33 00:02:00,186 --> 00:02:03,456 of the otherwise peaceful summer evening. 34 00:02:22,175 --> 00:02:24,911 [Narrator] Hysterical, Lynlee passes the phone 35 00:02:24,944 --> 00:02:26,579 to her brother-in-law, Sam, 36 00:02:26,613 --> 00:02:30,350 who says they just found his 29-year-old brother, Ben, 37 00:02:30,383 --> 00:02:33,553 dead at his rare snake breeding facility, 38 00:02:33,586 --> 00:02:35,221 Renick Reptiles. 39 00:02:53,707 --> 00:02:56,242 In that moment, I think I was in a state of shock. 40 00:02:56,276 --> 00:02:59,412 Probably for that and, and some time after. 41 00:03:00,580 --> 00:03:03,183 [Narrator] As Montgomery County first responders 42 00:03:03,216 --> 00:03:04,918 rush to the scene, 43 00:03:04,951 --> 00:03:06,619 they are on high alert. 44 00:03:07,087 --> 00:03:09,322 [Darrin] When we got the call that there was a man dead, 45 00:03:09,356 --> 00:03:11,458 it was suspected that it could've been a snake 46 00:03:11,491 --> 00:03:12,759 that's loose in the facility. 47 00:03:13,093 --> 00:03:14,561 And the facility had somewhere 48 00:03:14,594 --> 00:03:16,730 between three and four thousand snakes. 49 00:03:16,763 --> 00:03:18,498 So, it's a little unnerving not knowin' exactly 50 00:03:18,531 --> 00:03:20,433 what you're gonna walk in on. 51 00:03:23,903 --> 00:03:28,141 [Narrator] EMTs and deputies arrive at Renick Reptiles. 52 00:03:29,976 --> 00:03:31,678 [Lucas] This is a large barn; 53 00:03:31,978 --> 00:03:33,079 two different stories, 54 00:03:34,414 --> 00:03:39,452 concrete floor, with rows and rows and rows of plastic bins. 55 00:03:39,486 --> 00:03:42,155 And in each and every one of these bins 56 00:03:42,489 --> 00:03:43,890 is a different snake. 57 00:03:44,858 --> 00:03:46,393 [Narrator] Sam Renick directs them 58 00:03:46,426 --> 00:03:48,228 to the facility's entrance. 59 00:03:48,862 --> 00:03:51,698 They proceed with caution to the back of the barn, 60 00:03:51,731 --> 00:03:54,100 where they find his brother, Ben. 61 00:03:54,968 --> 00:03:58,171 [Lucas] Ben is on the ground in the barn, covered in blood. 62 00:03:58,738 --> 00:04:02,342 His face and his skull looks deformed. 63 00:04:03,510 --> 00:04:05,478 [Darrin] The EMT were checkin' for signs of life. 64 00:04:05,512 --> 00:04:06,546 When they rolled the body over, 65 00:04:06,579 --> 00:04:09,349 underneath the right armpit was a shell casing. 66 00:04:10,850 --> 00:04:12,819 [Narrator] It's clear to investigators that 67 00:04:12,852 --> 00:04:16,856 this kind of damage wasn't caused by a snake. 68 00:04:18,191 --> 00:04:19,893 He had been shot in the back several times, 69 00:04:19,926 --> 00:04:21,895 and then ultimately shot in the back of the head. 70 00:04:22,629 --> 00:04:24,130 [Darrin] It was at that point they realized that 71 00:04:24,164 --> 00:04:25,799 there was no doubt it was a homicide. 72 00:04:30,770 --> 00:04:33,506 [Narrator] Investigators with the Montgomery County Sheriff 73 00:04:33,540 --> 00:04:35,809 and Missouri State Highway Patrol 74 00:04:35,842 --> 00:04:37,210 arrive on the scene. 75 00:04:38,178 --> 00:04:40,080 They find Sam and Lynlee outside, 76 00:04:40,647 --> 00:04:44,918 both having just learned that Ben's death wasn't an accident. 77 00:04:46,386 --> 00:04:47,721 [Sam] I thought that perhaps 78 00:04:47,754 --> 00:04:49,389 he was attacked by one of the snakes, 79 00:04:49,422 --> 00:04:52,525 but the coroner let me know that this was not a snake attack. 80 00:04:52,559 --> 00:04:55,962 That Ben was, in fact, murdered by a gun. 81 00:04:55,995 --> 00:04:57,497 It hit me like a ton of bricks. 82 00:04:57,530 --> 00:04:59,766 I didn't believe it. Everyone loved Ben. 83 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,036 [Darrin] Lynlee was wailing and screaming and things in the car 84 00:05:03,036 --> 00:05:04,804 I got her to calm down enough to where she understood 85 00:05:04,838 --> 00:05:06,172 what I needed, and asked if they could 86 00:05:06,206 --> 00:05:07,507 get her down to Montgomery County 87 00:05:07,540 --> 00:05:08,842 for an interview. 88 00:05:14,214 --> 00:05:16,416 [Narrator] Born in 1987, 89 00:05:16,449 --> 00:05:19,386 Ben Renick grew up in Montgomery County, Missouri 90 00:05:19,419 --> 00:05:23,123 on a 40-acre family farm with his brother, Sam. 91 00:05:23,757 --> 00:05:25,425 [Sam] It's unique growing up on a farm. 92 00:05:25,458 --> 00:05:27,527 I think Ben might've been 12 years old 93 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:29,295 when he got his first snake. 94 00:05:30,530 --> 00:05:31,664 [Richie] I would go to his house after school, 95 00:05:31,698 --> 00:05:35,268 and his family was just always super warm and welcoming. 96 00:05:35,769 --> 00:05:37,871 The nicest people you could ever meet. 97 00:05:42,609 --> 00:05:44,878 [Narrator] Despite the idyllic country setting, 98 00:05:45,545 --> 00:05:48,715 Ben's childhood was far from perfect. 99 00:05:49,949 --> 00:05:51,651 [Sam] When Ben and I were young children, 100 00:05:51,685 --> 00:05:54,087 my mother was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer. 101 00:05:55,622 --> 00:05:57,457 Ben and I, we took care of ourselves. 102 00:05:57,490 --> 00:05:58,491 Took care of each other. 103 00:05:59,626 --> 00:06:02,896 [Narrator] In 2008, when Ben was 21 years old, 104 00:06:03,530 --> 00:06:06,933 his mother ultimately lost her battle to cancer. 105 00:06:08,034 --> 00:06:09,235 [Sam] My mother was a fighter. 106 00:06:09,269 --> 00:06:12,572 She stayed in stage four for 15 years. 107 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:14,808 She taught Ben and I a lot. 108 00:06:15,108 --> 00:06:16,910 Resilience... 109 00:06:16,943 --> 00:06:18,912 Self-sufficiency... 110 00:06:18,945 --> 00:06:20,313 Love. 111 00:06:25,652 --> 00:06:28,254 [Narrator] The loss devastated Ben's family, 112 00:06:28,288 --> 00:06:30,256 especially his father. 113 00:06:30,290 --> 00:06:34,561 In 2012, four years after his wife's death, 114 00:06:34,594 --> 00:06:37,530 Frank Renick took his own life. 115 00:06:38,598 --> 00:06:40,166 [Sam] It was tough seeing my family struggle 116 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:41,267 as much as they did. 117 00:06:41,301 --> 00:06:45,071 But my father loved my mother more than anything. 118 00:06:45,572 --> 00:06:49,109 He had the farm set in Ben's name as a sole owner 119 00:06:49,309 --> 00:06:50,610 for a number of reasons. 120 00:06:50,643 --> 00:06:52,812 One of them being I was getting divorced, 121 00:06:52,846 --> 00:06:56,349 and I didn't need to have any of those assets in my name. 122 00:06:59,519 --> 00:07:00,820 [Narrator] On their own, 123 00:07:00,854 --> 00:07:03,189 the young men looked toward the future. 124 00:07:04,024 --> 00:07:08,661 For Ben, by around 22 years old he knew what he wanted. 125 00:07:09,763 --> 00:07:12,732 [Sam] He really wasn't aiming towards college after school. 126 00:07:14,034 --> 00:07:16,703 He went full fledged with his reptile business. 127 00:07:17,804 --> 00:07:19,739 [Narrator] Ben converted a barn on the farm 128 00:07:19,773 --> 00:07:23,076 into a world-class snake breeding facility. 129 00:07:32,052 --> 00:07:35,188 [Sam] Ben was really going for the designer pet aspect of 130 00:07:35,221 --> 00:07:36,656 the snake breeding. 131 00:07:36,690 --> 00:07:39,059 He was looking for the genetic patterns 132 00:07:39,092 --> 00:07:41,828 that nobody else had, or that were rare. 133 00:07:44,931 --> 00:07:47,434 [Narrator] As his reptile business was taking off, 134 00:07:47,834 --> 00:07:51,237 24-year-old Ben reconnected wit an old friend, 135 00:07:51,504 --> 00:07:54,407 23-year-old Lynlee Jo Gallatin. 136 00:07:55,375 --> 00:07:57,344 [Sam] Ben and Lynlee went to two different high schools. 137 00:07:57,377 --> 00:08:00,213 You know, she was familiar with him and, and they got together. 138 00:08:00,613 --> 00:08:02,782 She was sweet, she was bubbly. 139 00:08:04,050 --> 00:08:05,719 [Narrator] Born in 1988, 140 00:08:05,752 --> 00:08:08,621 Lynlee grew up in nearby Wellsville. 141 00:08:10,390 --> 00:08:13,626 Like Ben, Lynlee also knew what it was like 142 00:08:13,660 --> 00:08:15,061 to lose a parent. 143 00:08:16,129 --> 00:08:18,631 [Sam] Her mother was ill in her early life, 144 00:08:18,665 --> 00:08:20,367 and, and did pass. 145 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,268 Her father took very good care of her. 146 00:08:23,269 --> 00:08:25,739 [Narrator] After graduating from high school, 147 00:08:25,772 --> 00:08:28,775 19-year-old Lynlee attended massage school. 148 00:08:29,609 --> 00:08:30,844 [Lucas] The day that she was supposed to 149 00:08:30,877 --> 00:08:32,846 sit down for her board exam 150 00:08:32,879 --> 00:08:35,048 is the day she found out she was pregnant. 151 00:08:36,049 --> 00:08:38,118 Lynlee Renick has a son with a man. 152 00:08:38,818 --> 00:08:44,157 And essentially, Lynlee is left to raise this child on her own. 153 00:08:46,726 --> 00:08:49,696 [Narrator] When she started seeing Ben in 2011, 154 00:08:49,729 --> 00:08:52,165 the relationship moved quickly. 155 00:08:53,233 --> 00:08:55,869 [Sam] Lynlee and her son moved into the house that 156 00:08:55,902 --> 00:08:57,370 he built on the family farm, 157 00:08:57,404 --> 00:08:59,572 and Ben kinda went right into fatherhood. 158 00:09:00,006 --> 00:09:02,375 Soon after that, they had their first child together. 159 00:09:03,076 --> 00:09:06,212 [Narrator] Lynlee temporarily set her career aside 160 00:09:06,246 --> 00:09:08,648 to help Ben grow his business. 161 00:09:13,019 --> 00:09:16,556 Lynlee gave up a lot of her time as well to help Ben. 162 00:09:17,157 --> 00:09:19,926 Lynlee was very deeply a part o the business. 163 00:09:20,026 --> 00:09:22,662 [Richie] Ben was a successful snake breeder, 164 00:09:22,696 --> 00:09:26,066 and he was kind of a pioneer in that whole industry. 165 00:09:26,099 --> 00:09:27,734 He was definitely very well known in 166 00:09:27,767 --> 00:09:30,337 the snake breeding community, like I would say worldwide. 167 00:09:31,171 --> 00:09:35,675 [Narrator] In 2014, Ben and Lynlee married. 168 00:09:36,343 --> 00:09:39,846 You know, Ben was really happy to be finally married to Lynlee, 169 00:09:39,879 --> 00:09:41,614 and start a life together. 170 00:09:45,652 --> 00:09:49,122 [Narrator] By 2016, two years into their marriage, 171 00:09:49,155 --> 00:09:51,057 with the reptile business booming, 172 00:09:51,524 --> 00:09:55,161 the happy couple was ready to attempt another venture. 173 00:09:55,829 --> 00:09:59,499 Lynlee opened Ascensia Spa in nearby Columbia. 174 00:10:00,233 --> 00:10:01,835 [Sam] Ben did make some large investments 175 00:10:01,868 --> 00:10:03,303 in the spa initially, 176 00:10:03,336 --> 00:10:04,838 to get things up and running. 177 00:10:05,271 --> 00:10:07,307 [Narrator] With two successful businesses 178 00:10:07,340 --> 00:10:09,376 and two beautiful children, 179 00:10:09,676 --> 00:10:12,045 Lynlee and Ben had it all. 180 00:10:12,912 --> 00:10:15,482 [Sam] They worked together on building her business, 181 00:10:15,515 --> 00:10:18,018 and it looked to be in a good position 182 00:10:18,051 --> 00:10:19,252 to be successful. 183 00:10:19,519 --> 00:10:20,887 It was a happy time. 184 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,496 [Narrator] But on June 8th, 2017, 185 00:10:29,529 --> 00:10:31,798 their promising future comes undone 186 00:10:32,265 --> 00:10:36,903 when Lynlee and Sam find Ben dead inside the snake barn. 187 00:10:37,971 --> 00:10:40,674 The early information that Sam had given to us, 188 00:10:40,707 --> 00:10:42,475 he believed it to be a snake. 189 00:10:42,876 --> 00:10:46,346 But that was quickly ruled out by EMTs on scene 190 00:10:46,379 --> 00:10:48,948 through the presence of gunshot wounds in Ben's body. 191 00:10:51,017 --> 00:10:52,619 [Sam] I did talk with the police. 192 00:10:52,652 --> 00:10:54,120 They took me in, 193 00:10:54,154 --> 00:10:56,790 and I had to drop my two children and Ben's two children 194 00:10:56,823 --> 00:11:00,060 off with this poor babysitter and ask her to hold them. 195 00:11:01,161 --> 00:11:03,963 [Narrator] With Lynlee and Sam on the way to the station, 196 00:11:04,564 --> 00:11:06,766 investigators head inside the barn 197 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,536 and take a careful look at the crime scene. 198 00:11:10,570 --> 00:11:13,406 There were some shell casings that were underneath Ben's body, 199 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,275 but we also discovered divots. 200 00:11:16,443 --> 00:11:18,778 [Narrator] The small indentations in the floor 201 00:11:18,812 --> 00:11:21,548 show that Ben was shot several times 202 00:11:21,581 --> 00:11:23,950 after he hit the floor. 203 00:11:24,818 --> 00:11:26,453 [Devin] Those divots matched up directly 204 00:11:26,486 --> 00:11:29,255 with him being shot while he was on the ground, 205 00:11:29,289 --> 00:11:31,091 and those bullets traveling through his body 206 00:11:31,124 --> 00:11:33,193 and striking the tile below him. 207 00:11:34,861 --> 00:11:36,963 [Narrator] It's clear that whoever killed Ben 208 00:11:36,996 --> 00:11:41,001 wasn't leaving until they were sure he was dead. 209 00:11:42,602 --> 00:11:45,105 [Devin] We found four or five shell casings. 210 00:11:45,138 --> 00:11:46,940 With the damage that was done to Ben's body, 211 00:11:46,973 --> 00:11:48,575 we took that to account. 212 00:11:48,808 --> 00:11:50,110 There was legitimate concern, 213 00:11:50,110 --> 00:11:53,246 and, and we have to vet all the information that we get 214 00:11:53,279 --> 00:11:54,748 to get to the truth. 215 00:11:57,917 --> 00:11:59,019 [Narrator] Coming up. 216 00:11:59,486 --> 00:12:02,055 Did a family feud turn deadly? 217 00:12:02,489 --> 00:12:05,325 She said maybe it would be better for their family 218 00:12:05,358 --> 00:12:06,793 to live elsewhere. 219 00:12:06,826 --> 00:12:08,928 This doesn't go over well with him. 220 00:12:09,529 --> 00:12:12,599 [Narrator] Or does the key to solving this case 221 00:12:12,632 --> 00:12:16,069 lie in another long-buried secret? 222 00:12:16,636 --> 00:12:18,438 [Sam] My father mismanaged that company, 223 00:12:18,471 --> 00:12:21,408 and he had defrauded a number of people out of investments. 224 00:12:35,855 --> 00:12:38,692 [Narrator] On June 8th, 2017, 225 00:12:39,159 --> 00:12:41,828 Missouri investigators are on the scene at 226 00:12:41,861 --> 00:12:43,797 a rare snake breeding facility, 227 00:12:44,364 --> 00:12:47,233 where owner, 29-year-old Ben Renick, 228 00:12:47,267 --> 00:12:50,904 has just been found shot to death inside. 229 00:12:51,638 --> 00:12:53,373 The concern about a snake on the loose 230 00:12:53,406 --> 00:12:54,307 that could've caused this 231 00:12:54,341 --> 00:12:56,142 was squashed when we found the shell casing 232 00:12:56,176 --> 00:12:57,877 and realized he had been shot. 233 00:12:59,012 --> 00:13:01,348 [Narrator] The coroner determines Ben was shot 234 00:13:01,381 --> 00:13:03,783 eight times from behind, 235 00:13:03,817 --> 00:13:07,721 with the majority of the bullet coming after he hit the ground. 236 00:13:08,388 --> 00:13:12,926 He likely died within two hours of the call to 911. 237 00:13:13,927 --> 00:13:15,228 [Darrin] The way Ben was found, 238 00:13:15,261 --> 00:13:16,896 it looked like he had just been doin' his work 239 00:13:16,930 --> 00:13:18,765 and had been interrupted. 240 00:13:21,067 --> 00:13:22,369 [Narrator] Investigators consider 241 00:13:22,402 --> 00:13:25,872 whether Ben was shot in a robbery gone wrong. 242 00:13:26,940 --> 00:13:31,311 There was no, per se, gated security that would 243 00:13:31,344 --> 00:13:34,647 prohibit or inhibit access to the facility. 244 00:13:34,681 --> 00:13:36,316 So, it was just open door. 245 00:13:36,850 --> 00:13:39,886 Ben had large amounts of cash in the facility 246 00:13:39,919 --> 00:13:41,554 at different given times. 247 00:13:41,588 --> 00:13:42,989 And so, there was a theory 248 00:13:43,089 --> 00:13:45,191 that maybe this was a robbery that went bad. 249 00:13:49,295 --> 00:13:51,331 [Narrator] With the hope of learning more, 250 00:13:51,364 --> 00:13:53,466 investigators head to the station 251 00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:57,103 and turn their attention to the 911 callers, 252 00:13:57,137 --> 00:14:00,173 Ben's wife, Lynlee, and his brother, Sam. 253 00:14:00,206 --> 00:14:02,909 They start by interviewing Lynlee. 254 00:14:04,177 --> 00:14:07,313 Lynlee said that she spent the day working in Columbia 255 00:14:07,347 --> 00:14:08,281 at the spa. 256 00:14:24,631 --> 00:14:28,501 [Narrator] As Lynlee prepared to head back home around 6 P.M, 257 00:14:29,069 --> 00:14:31,871 she made an alarming discovery. 258 00:14:33,106 --> 00:14:34,607 [Lucas] The school had called and said, 259 00:14:35,108 --> 00:14:37,877 "Ben hasn't shown up to pick up your children." 260 00:14:42,082 --> 00:14:43,750 [Narrator] Unable to reach Ben, 261 00:14:44,384 --> 00:14:48,254 Lynlee says she rushed to get the kids and head back home. 262 00:15:17,517 --> 00:15:21,054 The first person she called was Sam Renick, not 911. 263 00:15:21,054 --> 00:15:23,523 She called Sam because he was already on the property. 264 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:43,309 [Narrator] Still considering the possibility of a burglary, 265 00:15:43,743 --> 00:15:47,881 investigators ask Lynlee about her husband's business. 266 00:16:02,829 --> 00:16:04,798 It seemed she was very forthcoming. 267 00:16:04,831 --> 00:16:06,299 She wanted to help. 268 00:16:39,432 --> 00:16:41,501 [Narrator] After learning of Ben and Sam's 269 00:16:41,534 --> 00:16:43,103 rocky relationship, 270 00:16:43,136 --> 00:16:47,207 investigators are eager to sit down with Sam next. 271 00:17:25,145 --> 00:17:27,480 [Narrator] With Lynlee's claims in mind, 272 00:17:27,914 --> 00:17:30,750 they ask Sam about the family farm. 273 00:17:56,376 --> 00:17:59,079 [Narrator] Uncertain if Sam is holding back, 274 00:17:59,112 --> 00:18:01,681 investigators quickly cut to the chase. 275 00:18:18,031 --> 00:18:19,933 We seized his shirt from that day. 276 00:18:20,033 --> 00:18:21,701 We did a download of his phone. 277 00:18:22,569 --> 00:18:24,537 The decision was made to polygraph Sam 278 00:18:24,571 --> 00:18:27,741 to see if he had any knowledge or involvement. 279 00:18:32,479 --> 00:18:35,448 [Narrator] As Sam's polygraph is being scheduled, 280 00:18:36,483 --> 00:18:40,253 investigators ask Lynlee to mee them back at the farm. 281 00:18:41,054 --> 00:18:42,555 We actually had Lynlee do 282 00:18:42,589 --> 00:18:45,392 somewhat of an inventory on the snakes. 283 00:18:46,226 --> 00:18:48,261 She didn't believe any snakes were missing. 284 00:18:49,329 --> 00:18:52,665 [Narrator] They find no proof of missing cash, either. 285 00:18:53,433 --> 00:18:54,601 [Lucas] Nothing is stolen. 286 00:18:54,634 --> 00:18:57,103 Nothing looks obviously broken into. 287 00:18:57,137 --> 00:18:59,506 Robbery gets taken off the table. 288 00:19:03,209 --> 00:19:06,212 [Narrator] Days later, Sam takes the polygraph. 289 00:19:06,913 --> 00:19:08,548 [Devin] Sam Renick came down to Jefferson City 290 00:19:08,581 --> 00:19:10,583 and submitted to a polygraph examination. 291 00:19:11,418 --> 00:19:14,254 And he passed the polygraph test. 292 00:19:15,021 --> 00:19:18,224 He deeply cared about finding a resolution to this case. 293 00:19:18,825 --> 00:19:21,027 [Narrator] Investigators are also able to 294 00:19:21,061 --> 00:19:23,163 confirm Sam's alibi. 295 00:19:24,297 --> 00:19:26,032 [Devin] He wasn't able to physically be there 296 00:19:26,032 --> 00:19:27,334 when he was at work. 297 00:19:27,367 --> 00:19:29,469 We confirmed that a couple different ways. 298 00:19:30,737 --> 00:19:34,040 [Narrator] With Sam ruled out and robbery off the table, 299 00:19:34,874 --> 00:19:38,411 investigators press Sam for a new lead. 300 00:19:41,181 --> 00:19:43,249 Although he continues to insist 301 00:19:43,283 --> 00:19:45,919 that his brother didn't have any enemies, 302 00:19:46,252 --> 00:19:49,456 he admits that their late father did. 303 00:19:51,291 --> 00:19:53,059 [Sam] My father started his own pet food company 304 00:19:53,093 --> 00:19:54,494 in Montgomery County. 305 00:19:54,527 --> 00:19:56,429 He had mismanaged that company. 306 00:19:56,463 --> 00:19:59,132 And he had defrauded a number of people out of investments. 307 00:19:59,666 --> 00:20:01,701 [Lucas] In 2012, a federal grand jury 308 00:20:01,735 --> 00:20:04,471 indicted Frank Renick on fraud charges. 309 00:20:04,504 --> 00:20:06,539 Essentially that he was taking investors' money, 310 00:20:06,573 --> 00:20:08,475 not putting it into the business, 311 00:20:08,508 --> 00:20:10,643 and essentially paying off previous investors 312 00:20:10,677 --> 00:20:12,712 to the company that he was running. 313 00:20:12,746 --> 00:20:15,048 Shortly after that federal indictment came out, 314 00:20:15,081 --> 00:20:16,816 Frank Renick committed suicide. 315 00:20:18,318 --> 00:20:22,055 There may still be investors that were still upset 316 00:20:22,088 --> 00:20:23,656 with the Renick family. 317 00:20:24,624 --> 00:20:26,726 That was a path we were gonna have to go down. 318 00:20:30,497 --> 00:20:32,866 [Narrator] Investigators obtain a search warrant, 319 00:20:33,366 --> 00:20:36,069 and start looking at Ben's social media accounts 320 00:20:36,102 --> 00:20:38,471 for any potential threats. 321 00:20:39,706 --> 00:20:42,208 So there were some thoughts that it could be tied to that, 322 00:20:42,242 --> 00:20:43,710 in some way. 323 00:20:43,743 --> 00:20:45,345 That there could be someone angry at the family 324 00:20:45,378 --> 00:20:47,080 or wantin' to get revenge for what had happened. 325 00:20:47,113 --> 00:20:48,748 Some money they had lost. 326 00:20:49,115 --> 00:20:50,850 That was definitely looked at. 327 00:20:51,851 --> 00:20:54,921 [Narrator] Investigators find nothing from social media 328 00:20:54,954 --> 00:20:56,356 to back this theory up. 329 00:20:57,691 --> 00:21:01,861 However, they do find evidence of a marriage in turmoil. 330 00:21:03,563 --> 00:21:06,399 Lynlee and Ben communicated with Facebook message just as much 331 00:21:06,433 --> 00:21:07,467 as they did with text. 332 00:21:08,468 --> 00:21:09,502 I read through all the Facebook messages 333 00:21:09,536 --> 00:21:12,405 on both their accounts, and Ben gave an idea, 334 00:21:12,439 --> 00:21:14,240 although he never specifically would say it, 335 00:21:14,641 --> 00:21:16,242 that she was cheating on him. 336 00:21:17,143 --> 00:21:19,479 He would bring up concerns about her bein' on her phone, 337 00:21:19,512 --> 00:21:21,781 or her goin' to the bathroom with her phone. 338 00:21:23,149 --> 00:21:26,720 I had start to put together tha Lynlee may be havin' an affair. 339 00:21:30,323 --> 00:21:31,157 [Narrator] Coming up. 340 00:21:32,092 --> 00:21:35,595 Out of a hunch, detectives find fact. 341 00:21:35,995 --> 00:21:37,964 They'd met on a dating site. 342 00:21:38,431 --> 00:21:41,134 [Narrator] And the secrets don't stop there. 343 00:21:41,167 --> 00:21:44,270 Ben was having to front a lot of bills. 344 00:21:44,304 --> 00:21:46,940 This created a really big wedge 345 00:22:03,556 --> 00:22:05,525 [Narrator] Weeks after the murder of 346 00:22:05,558 --> 00:22:08,261 well-known snake breeder Ben Renick, 347 00:22:09,062 --> 00:22:11,064 Missouri investigators are combing through 348 00:22:11,097 --> 00:22:14,434 Ben and Lynlee's social media and text messages 349 00:22:14,868 --> 00:22:18,605 when they find evidence of a tumultuous marriage. 350 00:22:19,773 --> 00:22:22,642 I had 20 thousand plus pages of Facebook messages, 351 00:22:22,676 --> 00:22:24,844 and then all of their text conversations. 352 00:22:25,679 --> 00:22:27,847 We began to learn that her and Ben's relationship 353 00:22:27,881 --> 00:22:30,116 wasn't quite as good as she said it was. 354 00:22:30,617 --> 00:22:32,519 We kinda operate under the guise, 355 00:22:32,552 --> 00:22:35,321 if you have nothing to hide, you hide nothing. 356 00:22:35,689 --> 00:22:38,124 It kinda makes you suspicious on what else 357 00:22:38,158 --> 00:22:40,527 she's withholding from investigators. 358 00:22:43,596 --> 00:22:45,865 [Narrator] Detectives decide it's time to 359 00:22:45,899 --> 00:22:47,767 speak with Lynlee again. 360 00:22:48,835 --> 00:22:51,805 I was candid about it and asked if she was having 361 00:22:51,838 --> 00:22:53,807 an affair or a romantic relationship. 362 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:55,575 And that's when she explained t me that 363 00:22:55,608 --> 00:22:57,277 she was seein' someone else. 364 00:22:57,310 --> 00:22:58,745 It was a local person there 365 00:22:58,778 --> 00:23:00,513 that helped with her business from time to time, 366 00:23:00,547 --> 00:23:03,350 and that they would meet approximately twice a month. 367 00:23:04,050 --> 00:23:09,089 He was a marketing professional that was trying to help the spa, 368 00:23:09,122 --> 00:23:10,523 named Aric Bremmer. 369 00:23:10,557 --> 00:23:11,758 [Devin] She stated that time, 370 00:23:11,791 --> 00:23:12,926 that was the only affair she was having 371 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:18,064 and she apologized for not telling about it the first time. 372 00:23:20,867 --> 00:23:22,469 [Narrator] Following the interview, 373 00:23:22,502 --> 00:23:25,171 investigators check in with Aric. 374 00:23:25,839 --> 00:23:28,341 [Devin] He had an alibi. He was on a trip with friends. 375 00:23:28,641 --> 00:23:29,843 And from that point forward, 376 00:23:29,876 --> 00:23:32,746 we didn't believe that Aric was involved in the homicide. 377 00:23:36,116 --> 00:23:38,685 [Narrator] Curious if Lynlee's affair with Aric 378 00:23:38,718 --> 00:23:41,087 might not be the only one, 379 00:23:41,521 --> 00:23:43,723 they subpoena her phone records 380 00:23:44,491 --> 00:23:46,659 I spent a lot of time goin' over those, 381 00:23:46,693 --> 00:23:48,495 and there was a pattern that developed 382 00:23:48,528 --> 00:23:51,664 with her and a, an associated phone number. 383 00:23:52,532 --> 00:23:54,434 [Narrator] Investigators trace the number 384 00:23:54,467 --> 00:23:57,537 to 34-year-old Brandon Blackwell. 385 00:23:59,773 --> 00:24:01,341 [Devin] I travel to Brandon's work and 386 00:24:01,374 --> 00:24:03,343 had a candid conversation with him. 387 00:24:03,376 --> 00:24:06,246 And he explained to me that they had met on a dating site. 388 00:24:07,113 --> 00:24:09,783 Brandon was very open and honest and forthcoming with me 389 00:24:09,816 --> 00:24:11,451 about his relationship with Lynlee. 390 00:24:11,484 --> 00:24:14,521 He conceded that they had started a sexual affair, 391 00:24:14,554 --> 00:24:17,057 turned out it was just three days before the murder. 392 00:24:18,058 --> 00:24:20,126 [Narrator] But like Lynlee's first lover, 393 00:24:20,627 --> 00:24:24,097 he also offers up an airtight alibi. 394 00:24:24,931 --> 00:24:27,500 He worked for a secure power plant type company, 395 00:24:28,068 --> 00:24:30,570 it was very easy to determine if he was at work. 396 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:36,276 [Narrator] On June 19th, 2017, 397 00:24:36,776 --> 00:24:41,247 11 days after Ben's murder, investigators request that 398 00:24:41,281 --> 00:24:43,783 29-year-old Lynlee come back in 399 00:24:43,817 --> 00:24:46,419 so they can ask to look at her texts. 400 00:24:47,253 --> 00:24:48,355 [Devin] She consented to that. 401 00:24:49,489 --> 00:24:50,924 I found text messages from the day of the homicide 402 00:24:50,957 --> 00:24:52,158 with her and a "Mike H." 403 00:24:52,559 --> 00:24:54,494 They talked the whole day of the murder, 404 00:24:54,527 --> 00:24:55,929 and then they hadn't talked since. 405 00:25:18,518 --> 00:25:20,620 [Marcus] Lynlee actually talked about him. 406 00:25:20,653 --> 00:25:22,555 Michael used to work at a business 407 00:25:22,589 --> 00:25:24,657 that installed stereo equipment. 408 00:25:37,170 --> 00:25:40,206 [Lucas] Ashley Shaw is the business manager. 409 00:25:40,607 --> 00:25:42,642 She's a very organized person 410 00:25:42,676 --> 00:25:45,445 who is trying to keep this business on track. 411 00:25:45,478 --> 00:25:47,213 She's very close with Lynlee. 412 00:26:01,494 --> 00:26:02,462 [Devin] She seemed slightly taken aback 413 00:26:02,495 --> 00:26:05,131 with us asking more questions about Michael, 414 00:26:05,165 --> 00:26:08,368 and I realized I needed to lear a little bit more about Mike. 415 00:26:08,835 --> 00:26:11,037 I was able to set up a meeting with Michael. 416 00:26:13,907 --> 00:26:17,043 [Narrator] On July 17th, 2017, 417 00:26:17,043 --> 00:26:19,879 Michael arrives for his interview. 418 00:26:41,401 --> 00:26:44,671 He also says Lynlee had come and reconnected with him because 419 00:26:44,704 --> 00:26:47,540 Ashley Shaw wanted some stereo work done, 420 00:26:47,841 --> 00:26:49,442 and he decided, "Why not?" 421 00:26:50,176 --> 00:26:53,079 There's plenty of places to go to get car stereos put in 422 00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:55,782 than some boyfriend that you haven't seen in ten years 423 00:26:55,815 --> 00:26:57,217 that you knew could do it. 424 00:26:57,250 --> 00:26:58,918 Nothin' about that was makin' sense to me. 425 00:27:03,089 --> 00:27:04,824 [Narrator] Despite their suspicions, 426 00:27:05,392 --> 00:27:08,595 investigators release Michael and concentrate on 427 00:27:08,628 --> 00:27:11,264 the messages between Lynlee and Ben. 428 00:27:12,332 --> 00:27:14,634 A lot of that was them fighting about money 429 00:27:14,668 --> 00:27:16,169 or their relationship. 430 00:27:17,337 --> 00:27:18,838 [Devin] We learned that Lynlee was not payin' 431 00:27:18,872 --> 00:27:20,774 her business loan on time. 432 00:27:20,807 --> 00:27:23,043 She owed an electric company five thousand dollars, 433 00:27:23,076 --> 00:27:25,712 she owed an architecture firm about five thousand dollars. 434 00:27:26,746 --> 00:27:28,415 And Ben was just starting to learn through 435 00:27:28,448 --> 00:27:30,150 emails with her bank. 436 00:27:31,451 --> 00:27:36,289 Ben was having to front a lot of bills for Lynlee's spa, 437 00:27:37,190 --> 00:27:41,127 and this created a really big wedge between the two. 438 00:27:42,062 --> 00:27:43,630 [Narrator] Investigators question if 439 00:27:43,663 --> 00:27:47,801 the couple's money problems could be a motive for murder. 440 00:27:51,104 --> 00:27:54,274 Then suddenly, a call comes in from an insurance agent 441 00:27:54,307 --> 00:27:56,443 handling the Renick policy. 442 00:27:57,243 --> 00:27:58,912 [Devin] The investigative specialist from 443 00:27:58,945 --> 00:28:00,280 the life insurance company 444 00:28:00,313 --> 00:28:02,382 asked if Lynlee was a suspect i the case, 445 00:28:02,782 --> 00:28:04,451 and I stated that she was. 446 00:28:04,884 --> 00:28:06,753 And because of that, they were holding 447 00:28:06,786 --> 00:28:09,022 that million dollar life insurance policy. 448 00:28:09,756 --> 00:28:12,659 [Narrator] The agent claims Lynlee began trying to 449 00:28:12,692 --> 00:28:14,861 cash in on the million dollar policy 450 00:28:14,894 --> 00:28:17,464 within hours of Ben's death. 451 00:28:17,831 --> 00:28:20,100 That, I think, was a red flag for her, 452 00:28:20,133 --> 00:28:22,369 that it was called in in less than 12 hours. 453 00:28:22,402 --> 00:28:24,237 It was very suspicious. 454 00:28:27,507 --> 00:28:28,942 [Narrator] Even more damning, 455 00:28:29,042 --> 00:28:31,311 in the months since Ben's murder, 456 00:28:31,344 --> 00:28:34,381 Lynlee has been busy trying to cash in on more 457 00:28:34,414 --> 00:28:36,816 than just the life insurance... 458 00:28:37,817 --> 00:28:40,887 Quickly after the murder, she decided to sell that farm. 459 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:43,456 And Ben's business, his snake business. 460 00:28:44,190 --> 00:28:47,093 [Lucas] Sam Renick does try to step in and stop this sale. 461 00:28:47,127 --> 00:28:50,130 So, they have to go to court to figure out all of these assets. 462 00:28:53,533 --> 00:28:54,801 [Narrator] On October 5th, 463 00:28:54,834 --> 00:28:57,437 almost five months after the murder, 464 00:28:58,138 --> 00:29:02,342 investigators tell Lynlee they need to talk to her again. 465 00:29:03,209 --> 00:29:05,045 I explained to her a polygraph may be some way 466 00:29:05,078 --> 00:29:07,681 for us to exclude her as a suspect. 467 00:29:08,348 --> 00:29:10,116 [Narrator] Lynlee agrees. 468 00:29:10,884 --> 00:29:13,653 This is maybe Lynlee's fifth or sixth interview 469 00:29:13,687 --> 00:29:15,221 that she's done at this point. 470 00:29:16,089 --> 00:29:17,724 She takes a polygraph test, 471 00:29:17,757 --> 00:29:20,293 and Lynlee fails this polygraph test. 472 00:29:23,029 --> 00:29:25,699 Followin' the polygraph, she lawyered up. 473 00:29:30,303 --> 00:29:34,074 [Marcus] We believed that Lynlee had somethin' to do with it, 474 00:29:34,107 --> 00:29:37,043 we just hadn't gotten to the point of 475 00:29:37,043 --> 00:29:41,247 having the probable cause to arrest anyone in the case. 476 00:29:42,048 --> 00:29:43,850 [Narrator] Over the next few months, 477 00:29:43,883 --> 00:29:46,553 Lynlee continues to fight Sam in court 478 00:29:46,586 --> 00:29:48,288 over the sale of the farm. 479 00:29:49,089 --> 00:29:51,858 She also goes public with her relationship 480 00:29:51,891 --> 00:29:53,560 with Brandon Blackwell. 481 00:29:54,494 --> 00:29:57,263 We started seeing Lynlee's social media accounts 482 00:29:57,297 --> 00:29:58,498 pop up with another man. 483 00:29:59,833 --> 00:30:02,035 And then, very quickly after that, 484 00:30:02,068 --> 00:30:04,204 we found out that she was pregnant. 485 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:08,541 [Narrator] Coming up. 486 00:30:08,975 --> 00:30:10,977 A witness comes forward... 487 00:30:11,411 --> 00:30:13,580 [Lucas] Police get a call from an inmate. 488 00:30:13,613 --> 00:30:15,915 He's got some information to share. 489 00:30:16,349 --> 00:30:19,753 [Narrator] And a twisted tale unfolds. 490 00:30:37,604 --> 00:30:40,740 [Narrator] Months after Ben Renick is gunned down 491 00:30:40,774 --> 00:30:43,109 inside his snake breeding facility, 492 00:30:43,143 --> 00:30:46,312 his murder remains unsolved. 493 00:30:48,248 --> 00:30:51,718 And the primary suspect, his wife Lynlee, 494 00:30:51,751 --> 00:30:53,953 remains a free woman. 495 00:30:55,355 --> 00:30:56,723 [Sam] Lynlee entered a relationship 496 00:30:56,756 --> 00:30:58,024 with Brandon Blackwell 497 00:30:58,058 --> 00:31:00,393 almost immediately at the time of the murder. 498 00:31:01,061 --> 00:31:03,430 Brandon was married and had two kids. 499 00:31:04,330 --> 00:31:08,068 He left his wife, and him and Lynlee had a child together. 500 00:31:11,604 --> 00:31:13,106 [Narrator] As time passes, 501 00:31:13,773 --> 00:31:15,975 investigators keep an eye on Lynlee. 502 00:31:16,476 --> 00:31:19,112 She eventually prevails in her court battle 503 00:31:19,145 --> 00:31:21,147 with Ben's brother, Sam. 504 00:31:23,450 --> 00:31:27,153 [Sam] We had the farm set in Ben's name as a sole owner. 505 00:31:27,654 --> 00:31:31,391 But when he passed, it went to Lynlee, solely. 506 00:31:31,424 --> 00:31:32,559 I lost. 507 00:31:33,693 --> 00:31:36,563 A farm that my family spent 40 years maintaining. 508 00:31:36,596 --> 00:31:41,167 We could've never imagined losing the farm in that way. 509 00:31:42,168 --> 00:31:44,637 [Lucas] In 2018, Lynlee goes through with the sale of 510 00:31:44,671 --> 00:31:49,843 the Montgomery Country property for about 740 thousand dollars. 511 00:31:51,111 --> 00:31:53,813 [Narrator] But Lynlee isn't as lucky when it comes to 512 00:31:53,847 --> 00:31:56,116 Ben's life insurance payout. 513 00:31:57,317 --> 00:32:00,420 The life insurance payment is never made to Lynlee. 514 00:32:04,891 --> 00:32:06,559 [Narrator] That same year, 515 00:32:06,593 --> 00:32:10,563 Lynlee relocates to Columbia with Brandon and her three kids 516 00:32:11,765 --> 00:32:14,167 [Lucas] Brandon and Lynlee's relationship was marked 517 00:32:14,200 --> 00:32:15,802 with a lot of fighting. 518 00:32:16,302 --> 00:32:20,206 In 2019, Lynlee says that she's had enough with this, 519 00:32:20,707 --> 00:32:23,543 and gets a restraining order taken out against Brandon. 520 00:32:25,078 --> 00:32:27,113 [Narrator] In a stunning turn of events, 521 00:32:27,147 --> 00:32:31,084 authorities catch a break in January 2020, 522 00:32:31,117 --> 00:32:35,188 when Brandon is arrested after violating that order. 523 00:32:39,092 --> 00:32:42,662 Brandon Blackwell was in the Boone County Jail, 524 00:32:42,962 --> 00:32:44,764 he wanted to talk to one of us. 525 00:32:45,732 --> 00:32:48,468 [Devin] Brandon explained that it took some time, 526 00:32:48,501 --> 00:32:50,503 but eventually she would tell him a little more 527 00:32:50,537 --> 00:32:51,671 and a little more. 528 00:32:52,105 --> 00:32:53,707 [Narrator] According to Brandon, 529 00:32:53,740 --> 00:32:55,742 the week prior to Ben's death, 530 00:32:56,209 --> 00:32:59,245 Lynlee made the first attempt on his life. 531 00:33:00,213 --> 00:33:01,715 [Devin] According to Brandon, 532 00:33:01,748 --> 00:33:05,552 Ashley Shaw, her co-worker, helped her obtain narcotics, 533 00:33:05,585 --> 00:33:06,853 in this case, Percocet, 534 00:33:06,886 --> 00:33:09,889 and come up with a plan to poison Ben. 535 00:33:10,757 --> 00:33:15,628 They crushed up Percocet pills in a protein shake, 536 00:33:16,062 --> 00:33:18,164 but that attempt failed. 537 00:33:19,566 --> 00:33:21,201 [Narrator] Ben's Facebook messages 538 00:33:21,234 --> 00:33:23,103 support Brandon's story. 539 00:33:24,337 --> 00:33:27,240 [Darrin] We discovered something on the Facebook messages 540 00:33:27,273 --> 00:33:29,943 about Ben getting very ill from this protein shake. 541 00:33:32,278 --> 00:33:33,513 [Narrator] Brandon tells them 542 00:33:33,546 --> 00:33:35,448 that when the Percocet didn't work, 543 00:33:35,949 --> 00:33:38,318 Lynlee came up with another plan. 544 00:33:40,186 --> 00:33:42,455 [Marcus] She reached out to Michael Humphrey, 545 00:33:42,489 --> 00:33:45,692 an old boyfriend, and asked him for help. 546 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,729 Brandon Blackwell should not have known those facts 547 00:33:50,096 --> 00:33:52,098 unless he was told by Lynlee. 548 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,102 [Narrator] Two days after the interview with Brandon, 549 00:33:56,936 --> 00:33:59,639 authorities arrest Michael Humphrey. 550 00:34:19,526 --> 00:34:22,829 Lynlee had spun this tale of domestic violence 551 00:34:22,862 --> 00:34:24,197 and domestic abuse. 552 00:34:24,230 --> 00:34:26,733 Michael believed this. Michael wanted to help. 553 00:34:26,766 --> 00:34:30,070 He had brought her the gun to her spa in case she needed it. 554 00:34:30,637 --> 00:34:32,439 [Narrator] Then, two weeks later, 555 00:34:32,472 --> 00:34:36,176 she asked Michael to go with he to see Ben. 556 00:34:45,518 --> 00:34:46,886 [Narrator] But when they arrived, 557 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,757 Lynlee revealed she'd brought the gun with her. 558 00:35:08,641 --> 00:35:10,510 [Devin] They entered the facility, 559 00:35:10,543 --> 00:35:13,046 Michael said he was barely in the doorway 560 00:35:13,046 --> 00:35:14,314 at the front of the facility 561 00:35:14,347 --> 00:35:16,216 when he started to first hear shots. 562 00:35:37,904 --> 00:35:41,241 He confirmed that Lynlee was the one that had shot Ben. 563 00:35:41,708 --> 00:35:44,177 He wouldn't tell us what happened to the gun 564 00:35:44,210 --> 00:35:45,512 after the murder. 565 00:35:49,716 --> 00:35:50,717 [Narrator] That same day, 566 00:35:50,750 --> 00:35:55,422 investigators arrest 29-year-old Ashley Shaw. 567 00:35:56,489 --> 00:35:58,324 While she's waiting there, her attorney shows up. 568 00:35:59,459 --> 00:36:01,695 And they both say, "We will tell you that story 569 00:36:02,195 --> 00:36:03,863 if you give us that immunity." 570 00:36:05,198 --> 00:36:06,866 And they get the agreement in place, 571 00:36:07,667 --> 00:36:10,870 and Ashley Shaw tells 'em everything that she knows. 572 00:36:13,773 --> 00:36:15,909 [Narrator] Ashley says she agreed to help Lynlee 573 00:36:15,942 --> 00:36:19,612 because she told her she was in an abusive relationship. 574 00:36:20,647 --> 00:36:22,415 [Marcus] She's telling these people 575 00:36:22,449 --> 00:36:23,717 she's havin' troubles at home 576 00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:27,754 and she's soliciting them to help her get rid of her husband. 577 00:36:28,421 --> 00:36:29,589 [Lucas] Ashley Shaw says that 578 00:36:29,622 --> 00:36:31,658 she was the one who got the Percocets. 579 00:36:31,958 --> 00:36:33,626 She was the one who also helped 580 00:36:33,660 --> 00:36:36,096 find Michael Humphrey for this, as well. 581 00:36:36,830 --> 00:36:39,165 She was right there with Lynlee the entire time 582 00:36:39,199 --> 00:36:41,134 to try to set all of this up. 583 00:36:42,102 --> 00:36:44,738 [Narrator] When Michael and Lynlee traveled to the farm, 584 00:36:44,971 --> 00:36:47,073 Ashley stayed behind at the spa 585 00:36:47,107 --> 00:36:49,976 to help establish Lynlee's alibi. 586 00:36:50,910 --> 00:36:53,113 Lynlee left her phone and asked Ashley to actually 587 00:36:53,146 --> 00:36:55,415 make correspondence or texts on the phone 588 00:36:55,448 --> 00:36:57,550 to make it appear that she's in the spa. 589 00:36:58,618 --> 00:37:01,855 She starts sending texts to Ben, texting and calling 590 00:37:01,888 --> 00:37:03,156 that she was worried, 591 00:37:03,189 --> 00:37:04,824 she kept asking him to pick up his phone, 592 00:37:05,525 --> 00:37:07,894 But he didn't, because Ben was dead. 593 00:37:11,731 --> 00:37:14,668 [Narrator] On January 16th, 2020, 594 00:37:15,035 --> 00:37:18,038 over two and a half years after Ben's murder, 595 00:37:18,038 --> 00:37:22,208 authorities finally have what they need to arrest Lynlee. 596 00:37:23,043 --> 00:37:26,046 Lynlee was arrested at her residence in Columbia. 597 00:37:27,047 --> 00:37:29,449 [Sam] They promised me that someday we would get there. 598 00:37:29,482 --> 00:37:33,186 And despite my doubts at times, we did. 599 00:37:36,823 --> 00:37:38,324 [Narrator] Coming up. 600 00:37:38,358 --> 00:37:42,529 Will a last minute development seal Lynlee's fate? 601 00:37:43,329 --> 00:37:45,532 We rushed it to the lab and realized that 602 00:37:45,565 --> 00:37:46,733 we had the murder weapon. 603 00:37:46,766 --> 00:37:50,704 [Narrator] Or will Lynlee continue to evade justice? 604 00:37:51,371 --> 00:37:54,808 Lynlee takes the stand to tell her side of the story. 605 00:37:54,841 --> 00:37:57,844 A side that she has not told anyone yet. 606 00:38:11,891 --> 00:38:14,260 [Narrator] Over two and a half years after 607 00:38:14,294 --> 00:38:15,895 her husband is gunned down 608 00:38:15,929 --> 00:38:19,032 inside his exotic snake breeding facility, 609 00:38:19,366 --> 00:38:21,267 Ben Renick's widow, Lynlee, 610 00:38:21,301 --> 00:38:23,903 is finally arrested for his murder. 611 00:38:24,838 --> 00:38:27,841 But she refuses to make a statement. 612 00:38:28,508 --> 00:38:30,310 It took years to make an arrest. 613 00:38:30,343 --> 00:38:32,045 It was a long process. 614 00:38:32,045 --> 00:38:34,581 And that was tough, murder was not something that we thought 615 00:38:34,614 --> 00:38:36,850 that Lynlee would even be capable of. 616 00:38:36,883 --> 00:38:38,385 So, we were surprised. 617 00:38:41,054 --> 00:38:44,157 [Narrator] Ashley Shaw, Lynlee's coworker, 618 00:38:44,190 --> 00:38:45,525 is granted immunity 619 00:38:45,558 --> 00:38:48,261 after agreeing to testify against Lynlee 620 00:38:48,294 --> 00:38:50,930 and her co-conspirator, Michael Humphrey. 621 00:38:51,664 --> 00:38:55,502 As trial begins in October 2020 622 00:38:55,535 --> 00:38:58,371 Michael claims he didn't pull the trigger. 623 00:39:01,041 --> 00:39:02,709 [Lucas] The way the law is, 624 00:39:02,742 --> 00:39:05,812 is that you don't have to be the one that pulled the trigger 625 00:39:05,845 --> 00:39:08,381 If you took part in it and you knew about it, 626 00:39:08,848 --> 00:39:11,718 you are just as guilty as the person that pulled the trigger. 627 00:39:12,886 --> 00:39:15,689 Michael was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder 628 00:39:16,056 --> 00:39:18,758 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. 629 00:39:23,096 --> 00:39:25,632 [Narrator] As prosecutors turn their attention to 630 00:39:25,665 --> 00:39:27,634 preparing for Lynlee's trial, 631 00:39:28,034 --> 00:39:30,837 they are contacted by Michael's attorneys. 632 00:39:31,838 --> 00:39:34,541 [Devin] Michael's team of lawyers said that he was able t 633 00:39:34,574 --> 00:39:36,509 give specifics about where the gun was. 634 00:39:36,543 --> 00:39:39,746 Followin' that interview, Trooper Shafer and I found 635 00:39:39,779 --> 00:39:41,781 it was in the attic underneath some insulation. 636 00:39:42,382 --> 00:39:44,417 We rushed it to the lab and realized that 637 00:39:44,451 --> 00:39:46,419 we had the murder weapon for the case. 638 00:39:48,488 --> 00:39:51,524 [Lucas] Michael agreed to testify at Lynlee's trial. 639 00:39:51,558 --> 00:39:54,361 In exchange, they would remove 640 00:39:54,394 --> 00:39:56,062 his first-degree murder conviction, 641 00:39:56,062 --> 00:39:57,297 and instead give him 642 00:39:57,330 --> 00:39:58,865 a second-degree murder conviction, 643 00:39:58,898 --> 00:40:01,067 and sentence him to life in prison 644 00:40:01,101 --> 00:40:03,503 with the possibility of parole. 645 00:40:06,439 --> 00:40:08,808 [Narrator] In December 2021, 646 00:40:08,842 --> 00:40:12,278 33-year-old Lynlee Renick goes to trial. 647 00:40:12,312 --> 00:40:13,847 In a surprising move, 648 00:40:13,880 --> 00:40:17,050 Lynlee testifies on her own behalf. 649 00:40:18,418 --> 00:40:21,988 [Lucas] Lynlee takes the stand to tell her side of the story. 650 00:40:22,522 --> 00:40:25,125 Lynlee Renick tells the jury that it was Michael Humphrey 651 00:40:25,425 --> 00:40:26,860 that pulled the trigger. 652 00:40:28,695 --> 00:40:31,598 She was there, she didn't know that this was gonna occur. 653 00:40:33,366 --> 00:40:37,537 [Narrator] But Michael and Ashley testify to the contrary. 654 00:40:38,138 --> 00:40:40,507 This was wildly premeditated. 655 00:40:40,540 --> 00:40:43,610 She tried to poison him first. He didn't die. 656 00:40:44,144 --> 00:40:47,180 She covered up her actions all the way until the arrest, 657 00:40:47,681 --> 00:40:49,616 and lied countlessly. 658 00:40:49,649 --> 00:40:52,652 She was the one to pull the trigger. 659 00:40:56,956 --> 00:40:59,392 [Narrator] Prosecutors argue that Lynlee's claims 660 00:40:59,426 --> 00:41:02,195 that Ben abused her are unfounded. 661 00:41:02,896 --> 00:41:06,099 And her true motive is crystal clear. 662 00:41:07,067 --> 00:41:09,869 [Sam] I believe that greed is what killed my brother, 663 00:41:09,903 --> 00:41:10,837 Lynlee's greed. 664 00:41:10,870 --> 00:41:13,973 She knew that the farm was in Ben's name. 665 00:41:14,074 --> 00:41:15,275 And he just took out 666 00:41:15,308 --> 00:41:17,077 a one million life insurance policy. 667 00:41:17,110 --> 00:41:19,346 The truth is that Ben was gonna find out 668 00:41:19,379 --> 00:41:21,114 that Lynlee was having multiple affairs 669 00:41:21,381 --> 00:41:24,150 and mismanaging the finances at her spa. 670 00:41:24,684 --> 00:41:27,354 When that happened, Ben was gonna walk away, 671 00:41:27,387 --> 00:41:29,222 and she probably wasn't gonna get much. 672 00:41:30,090 --> 00:41:33,693 She was not willing to walk awa from those assets. 673 00:41:37,964 --> 00:41:40,100 [Narrator] After a four-day trial, 674 00:41:40,133 --> 00:41:42,002 the jury begins deliberations. 675 00:41:43,103 --> 00:41:45,972 Lynlee was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder 676 00:41:46,439 --> 00:41:48,775 and received 16 years in prison. 677 00:41:50,143 --> 00:41:52,512 [Sam] We're happy that she was sentenced to 678 00:41:52,545 --> 00:41:53,847 the 16 years that she was given 679 00:41:55,415 --> 00:41:58,685 However, my brother's life was worth a lot more than 16 years 680 00:41:59,119 --> 00:42:00,253 to those children. 681 00:42:01,087 --> 00:42:04,090 All the lives that were destroyed by this, 682 00:42:04,124 --> 00:42:05,725 by these actions... 683 00:42:06,226 --> 00:42:08,128 It was not just, not for us. 684 00:42:11,431 --> 00:42:14,200 How can we have such disparity in this? 685 00:42:14,234 --> 00:42:17,570 I think, for one, it breaks down on the argument itself. 686 00:42:18,071 --> 00:42:20,674 For Michael Humphrey, the argument was 687 00:42:20,707 --> 00:42:23,209 it doesn't matter if he's the trigger person or not. 688 00:42:23,243 --> 00:42:27,080 He was there, he knew about it, and he didn't say anything. 689 00:42:27,981 --> 00:42:30,684 But for Lynlee's, it's much mor specific. 690 00:42:30,717 --> 00:42:33,620 You have to believe that Lynlee was the one 691 00:42:33,653 --> 00:42:35,422 that shot and killed. 692 00:42:35,455 --> 00:42:37,724 And some jurors were maybe thinking that, 693 00:42:38,258 --> 00:42:40,260 "Maybe it wasn't Lynlee that pulled the trigger," 694 00:42:40,293 --> 00:42:43,997 was enough for them to pull back on their punishment. 695 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:49,536 [Narrator] Following the disappointing sentence, 696 00:42:49,903 --> 00:42:53,473 Ben's loved ones attempt to move on 697 00:42:53,506 --> 00:42:56,476 while keeping Ben's memory alive. 698 00:42:57,277 --> 00:43:00,747 For me to try imagine that somebody would wanna kill Ben 699 00:43:00,780 --> 00:43:03,049 was just kinda unbelievable. 700 00:43:03,883 --> 00:43:07,354 A little bit surreal, you know? It still is that way. 701 00:43:08,288 --> 00:43:12,158 He would have had a long, beautiful life to live, 702 00:43:12,859 --> 00:43:15,061 and that was stolen from him. 703 00:43:15,061 --> 00:43:19,199 Those kids deserved a father, and they were denied that. 704 00:43:20,867 --> 00:43:24,537 And the ripple effects of his murder will span generations. 705 00:43:29,909 --> 00:43:41,855 [music]