Man Found in a Pool of Blood Surrounded by Rare Snakes: Shocking Trial Comes to End

It was supposed to be another day at the Renick Reptiles facility — a remote yet thriving snake-breeding business tucked into the quiet town of New Florence, Missouri.

But on June 8, 2017, its founder, 29-year-old Ben Renick, was found dead in a pool of blood, surrounded by more than 3,000 exotic snakes. At first, it seemed like a tragic accident. Then the shell casings were discovered.

What followed was a chilling murder mystery that would take years to unravel — one that involved infidelity, betrayal, a failed poison plot, and a wife with deadly secrets.

When Ben’s wife, Lynlee Renick, frantically called 911, she sounded terrified. “My husband’s on the ground and there’s blood everywhere,” she screamed, claiming it might’ve been one of the giant snakes.

Ben’s brother, Sam Renick, rushed over and initially agreed. “His skull was crushed. I thought it was the snakes,” Sam later told Dateline.

But investigators quickly found a spent shell casing near Ben’s body — and then another. And another. Eight in total.

“This was no accident. This was a calculated execution,” said Montgomery County Coroner Dave Colbert, who found most of the bullets had entered Ben’s back. One was a point-blank shot to the head.

Ben Renick was more than a snake enthusiast — he was a rising star in the exotic animal world. His company, Renick Reptiles, sold rare pythons and anacondas to collectors across the country, sometimes fetching tens of thousands of dollars per snake. He had a growing reputation, a devoted family, and plans to expand the business.

“He was about to sign a big deal,” Sam Renick recalled. “Ben was going places.”

But someone wanted those plans cut short.

Despite the gruesome scene, police had no immediate suspects. For three years, the investigation crawled.

At one point, Sam himself was eyed by investigators. He lived on the family’s property and reportedly clashed with Ben over selling the land. But Sam quickly passed a polygraph, turned over his phone, and tested negative for gun residue.

“I gave them everything. I wanted justice for my brother,” Sam said.

Then, attention turned to Lynlee — the grieving widow who’d painted herself as a heartbroken bystander. But behind closed doors, she was hiding a web of deceit.

According to court records and witness testimony, Lynlee was juggling multiple affairs. She also ran a spa business that was bleeding money. Friends later told police she feared Ben might leave her — or worse, cut her off financially.

One of Lynlee’s co-workers dropped a bombshell: a month before Ben’s death, Lynlee allegedly tried to kill him by spiking his protein shake with 15 crushed Percocet pills. He vomited, but survived.

With no hard evidence, police couldn’t arrest her — until another man came forward.

In 2020, a tip came from an unlikely source: Brandon Blackwell, one of Lynlee’s former boyfriends who was sitting in jail on unrelated charges. He told detectives Lynlee had confessed to him that she planned the murder with the help of another ex, Michael Humphrey.

“They drove to the snake facility. Michael had gloves and a gun. But when they got there, he handed her the weapon and backed out,” Blackwell said in a taped interview. “She walked in and shot Ben herself.”

Blackwell’s testimony was the break police had been waiting for.

On January 16, 2020, police arrested both Lynlee Renick and Michael Humphrey for Ben’s murder. Each blamed the other.

In October 2021, Humphrey was convicted of first-degree murder. Facing life behind bars, he flipped — leading police to the murder weapon and testifying against Lynlee.

“She had the gun. She pulled the trigger,” Humphrey claimed on the stand. “I just watched.”

Lynlee took the stand in her own defense, claiming Humphrey was the killer and she was merely a witness.

“I saw the gun. I heard the shots. I ran,” she told the jury. “He pushed me into the car and told me to drive.”

The jury didn’t buy it. Lynlee was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action. She was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Humphrey’s sentence was reduced to life with the possibility of parole.

Sam Renick says he’ll never forgive her.

“She destroyed everything. My brother had no idea what she was planning. She really thought she’d get away with it all,” he said in a recent 48 Hours interview.

What began as a bizarre death in a room full of snakes turned out to be something far colder — a calculated murder by someone who once claimed to love him.

“It wasn’t the snakes that killed Ben,” Sam said. “It was the snake he married.”