Lynlee Renick convicted of second-degree murder of snake breeding husband
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A jury of seven women and five men selected from Clay County deliberated Wednesday to convict Lynlee Renick of second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
She killed her husband, Ben Renick, a well-known Montgomery County snake breeder June 8, 2017. He was shot eight times.
Lynlee Renick conspired with employees of her now-closed Columbia spa Ascensia and an ex-boyfriend to murder her husband.
The jury deliberated for roughly 11 1/2 hours, over Wednesday and Thursday.
Renick was out on her own recognizance throughout the trial and after the reading of the verdict, the state moved to have her bond denied and she was returned to custody before sentencing.
Following the reading of the verdict, Renick was seen sobbing and holding onto one of her defense staff for support.
The employees, Ashley Shaw and Rachel Hunt, testified against Renick as part of immunity deals with prosecutors. Ex-boyfriend Michael Humphrey was convicted in October in Audrain County of the crime.
He worked out a deal with prosecutors for a lesser charge and sentence when he provided the location of the murder weapon.
Renick, took the stand in her defense Wednesday, alleging it was Humphrey, not her to pull the trigger. She said she never planned to kill her husband, but needed moral support June 8, 2017, to tell Ben she wanted a divorce. Renick alleged Ben had recently become physically and sexually abusive to her.
Renick when cross-examined by the prosecution admitted to being a willing participant in her husband's death and to covering up Humphrey's involvement.
The jury could have found her guilty of first-degree murder but also had the options of second-degree murder, or first- or second-degree involuntary manslaughter under instructions read by Boone County Circuit Judge Kevin Crane.
Ben Renick's brother, Sam, who Lynlee Renick had tried to deflect blame onto after Ben's death, was seen thanking investigators and prosecutor Kelly King at the interval between the verdict and sentencing phases of the trial. Sam Renick was present for the entirety of the trial.
Renick's sentencing
The case immediately went into sentencing following the verdict. The state had no additional evidence, but the defense brought in Lynlee Renick's father, stepmother and sister to testify.
Renick has stayed at her father's house on an ankle monitor ever since she was released on bond 14 months ago. Renick hates the actions she took and blames herself said her father, Lyndell Gallatin.
The Gallatin family or Renick's children could not live a full life without her in it, Brenda Gallatin, Renick's stepmom said.
More: Lynlee Renick's friends, father testify during her murder trial of her husband
The reason Renick's children will not have a full life is because of her actions, prosecutor Kevin Zoellner argued when cross-examining Brenda Gallatin.
Renick's sister April Peek gave her testimony through tears asking the jury to be merciful for the sake of Renick's children.
The jury could choose to be merciful, but they shouldn't do so just because the family asks, Zoellner said in the sentencing hearing closing.
"When crime happens you punch water and those ripples are victims," he said, noting this include's Ben and Lynlee's children.
No one deserves mercy and no one can ask for it, said Renick's defense attorney Katherine Berger to the jury. But you can show Renick's children mercy by not removing her from their lives entirely, she said.
Following another 30 minutes of deliberation, the jury returned a sentencing recommendation of 13 years for second-degree murder and the three-year minimum for armed criminal action.
Before Crane read the recommendation he had attorneys approach for a quick conference. The jury had apparently written their recommendation into the wrong box on the recommendation document. He had the foreperson correct it before reading out Renick's sentence.
More: Witness testifies about role in allegedly helping Lynlee Renick plan to kill snake breeder husband
The jury could have given a sentencing recommendation of life in prison or between 10 and 30 years for the second-degree murder charge, and between three and 15 years for the armed criminal action charge.
The state asked for the maximum, while Renick's defense asked for the minimum.
The final sentencing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Boone County Courthouse. Crane at this disposition hearing cannot exceed the jury's recommendation. He could set the sentences to run concurrently or consecutively.
The defense and prosecution had no comments following the conclusion of the trial Thursday.
Bobbette Tucker, a family friend of Ben Renick, said that justice was not done for Ben with such a light sentence. She guessed the reasoning the jury had was because of Lynlee Renick's lack of criminal history.
"It seems like in the state of Missouri (taking) a person's life is worth 13 years," Tucker said about the sentence. "...To say that (Ben's) reptile business came first was incorrect. His wife and children came first."
Lynlee Renick's demeanor in the courtroom and on the stand was very much what people would see every day, Tucker said. There is a caveat.
"Underneath that is a very calculating and self-serving woman," she said. "I think she was probably used to getting everything that she's ever wanted as a child and as an adult, by golly, she was going to get it again.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Verdict reached in snake breeder murder trial. Lynlee Renick convicted
