“Secrets of the Snake Farm”: Dateline Reports on Ben Renick Homicide June 27 2025

This Friday, June 27, 2025, Dateline NBC revisits the haunting case of Ben Renick in an encore episode titled Secrets of the Snake Farm. Reported by Andrea Canning, the episode unpacks the calculated and cold-blooded murder of one of the reptile world’s most respected figures. Ben Renick, a 29-year-old snake breeder renowned for his work with exotic reptiles, was found shot to death at his Missouri breeding facility in 2017. What initially appeared to be a tragic accident involving one of his 3,000 snakes quickly turned into a murder investigation that would reveal betrayal, financial deceit, and a twisted murder plot.

As the case unfolded, the focus turned to Ben’s wife, Lynlee Renick, and a tangled web of accomplices and motives. Through exclusive interviews and detailed reporting, Dateline traces the path from suspicion to arrest, conviction, and sentencing in a case that shook both a family and an entire community of reptile enthusiasts.

A Rising Star in the Reptile World

Ben Renick’s fascination with reptiles began at a young age and evolved into a thriving business. He launched Renick Reptiles Inc. in 2010 and quickly became one of the most respected breeders of exotic snakes in the world. His facility housed thousands of rare snakes, including green anacondas and blood pythons, and drew buyers from as far away as Japan and the UK.

By 2017, Ben had secured a deal to sell a large portion of his collection for over a million dollars. He was on the cusp of financial freedom and was preparing to use that success to support his family, including wife Lynlee and their young children. The Renicks also operated a second business—a day spa run by Lynlee. But while Ben’s reptile empire was booming, the spa was floundering. Financial tensions grew, and their marriage began to unravel.

From Snakebite Suspicion to Homicide Investigation

On June 8, 2017, Lynlee Renick called 911, reporting that she found her husband dead inside the breeding facility. Initially, authorities wondered if Ben had been killed by one of his snakes. But coroner Dave Colbert quickly dismissed that theory after discovering shell casings near Ben’s body. Ben had been shot eight times, including at close range.

Suspicion soon fell on Lynlee, who appeared distraught but whose financial ties to her husband’s death—including a substantial life insurance policy and inheritance of the family property—raised red flags. Investigators also learned of an earlier attempt on Ben’s life: a poisoned protein shake laced with Percocet. That plot, hatched with spa employee Ashley Shaw, had failed. But it pointed to a broader conspiracy that would ultimately lead to Lynlee’s arrest nearly three years later.

Unraveling the Plot: Lies, Affairs, and a Cold Case Break

As detectives sifted through Lynlee’s relationships and business troubles, they uncovered multiple extramarital affairs and a series of lies to Ben about the spa’s financial health. Despite several police interviews, Lynlee was not charged—until a jailhouse tip in January 2020 blew the case wide open. The tip came from Brandon Blackwell, Lynlee’s ex-boyfriend, who claimed Lynlee had confessed to plotting Ben’s murder with her former partner, Michael Humphrey.

According to Blackwell and later testimony from Ashley Shaw, Lynlee orchestrated the entire plot. She had lured Humphrey to the snake farm under the guise of needing protection, then took the gun herself and fired the fatal shots. Shaw corroborated the story, admitting her role in the earlier poisoning attempt and detailing how Lynlee returned to the spa after the murder to scrub herself clean.

Two Trials, Two Convictions

In 2021, Michael Humphrey was tried first and found guilty of first-degree murder. Though he maintained that Lynlee had pulled the trigger, the jury found his involvement in the planning and execution sufficient for conviction. Facing life in prison, Humphrey agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and revealed the location of the murder weapon—his own gun—hidden in an attic.

With this key evidence, prosecutors built their case against Lynlee Renick. At trial, she took the stand in her own defense, claiming she had only intended to ask Ben for a divorce and that Humphrey had killed him. She admitted to lying to investigators and cheating on her husband but denied pulling the trigger. The jury was not convinced. After 12 hours of deliberation, Lynlee was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.

Sentencing, Reactions, and Legacy

Lynlee Renick was sentenced to 16 years in prison—13 years for murder and three years for the weapons charge. The relatively light sentence drew criticism from Ben’s family, particularly his brother Sam, who had raised Ben’s children after the murder. Sam called the sentence an injustice and lamented that the jury had undervalued his brother’s life.

Despite the devastation, Ben Renick’s legacy continues. In the reptile world, his influence lives on through a newly bred snake named the “Renick Ghost,” a tribute to the man who built an empire with passion and dedication. For his family and friends, the pain of betrayal and loss endures, but so does the commitment to honoring his name.

A Cold-Blooded Crime That Shook a Community

The murder of Ben Renick was not just a case of marital breakdown or financial desperation. It was a calculated act that exploited trust, family, and the illusion of partnership. As Secrets of the Snake Farm reveals, beneath the surface of a successful life lurked hidden motives and dark decisions. Through persistent investigation and courtroom drama, justice was finally served—if not in full, then in part.

Dateline NBC’s in-depth report ensures that Ben Renick’s story is not forgotten. His life and death serve as a cautionary tale about appearances, manipulation, and the true nature of betrayal.