01x08 - There might be a target on your back.

[bunniefuu]

♪ I can feel you finding ways ♪

When you
deal with snakes,

there's a good chance
you'll get bit.

Welcome to the
basement of Renick Reptiles.

This is a T Positive
Albino Green Anaconda.

Ben Renick
makes a k*lling

breeding pythons
and anacondas...

- Here we have a normal sunset.

We
have a 29 year old

at the top of the game
of the reptile world.

until his obsession

ends in horror.

But there
were far more snakes

in Ben's life than
just reptiles.

- Well, I think everybody is
a suspect in the beginning.

And no one knew

that a little poisonous joke
would be laced with venom.

- I think those messages
were really crucial.

We've got evidence right here.

She solved
her own m*rder

from beyond the grave.

The fitness
app on the phone,

it was overwhelming evidence.

♪ I've been haunted
by the visions ♪

♪ That I've seen
with my own eyes ♪

♪ And the only way to find you ♪

♪ Is to go beneath the lies ♪

She did help
catch this k*ller.

This is New
Florence, Missouri,

Ben Renick's hometown.

It's where this 29 year old

is amassing a fortune

in snakes.

But on June 8th, 2017...

His success story

turns tragic.

My name
is Lucas Geisler.

I am a news anchor and
investigative reporter

for ABC 17 News, KMIZ
in Columbia, Missouri.

Lucas
is 26 years old

and three years on the job

when he in the small community

of New Florence changes forever.

- It was certainly one
of the bigger stories

that I've ever covered

and maybe one of the biggest
ones I ever will cover.

You got a guy at
the top of his game

in the reptile breeding world.

A beloved
figure k*lled,

struck down in his prime.

- I thought there's gotta be
something strange going on here.

Ben's
older brother Sam

thought the same thing.

On June 8th,
I was working at the farm.

That's when I got the call
from Ben's wife Lynlee.

She called hysterical,

so I headed towards
the snake facility.

She led me to the body.

When I found Ben's
body, he was face down.

I had to turn him
over to check him.

He was a mess.

What police
will be walking into

is horrifying.

It's no
way for someone

to find their kid brother.

- He deserves much better.

He could have done anything.

He had his whole
life ahead of him.

♪ Lay it down ♪

♪ Lay it down ♪

♪ Lay it down ♪

♪ On me ♪

♪ On me ♪

Ben and Sam grew up

on the Renick Family
Farm in New Florence.

♪ Talk it out, talk it out ♪

♪ Talk it out ♪

♪ Just breathe ♪

- Ben and I as... young kids.

Ben was a big fan of
snakes at a young age.

He was out in the wilderness
catching snakes all the time.

♪ Lay your head
upon my shoulder ♪

And he managed to turn that
passion into a business.

♪ Hold me closer ♪

As Ben's work
in the reptile world grew,

so did his reputation.

My
name's Cheryl Metula.

I work with exotic animals,
primarily reptiles.

Ben was introduced to me as one of
the largest ball python breeders,

the most well-known one

across the entire world.

Cheryl
became friends

with Ben and his wife Lynlee...

And got to know
both of them well.

- Lynlee was probably
the sweetest person ever.

She was extremely kind.

They just seemed so in love.

My
name is Bobbette Tucker.

Ben was so happy.

We fell in love with
her just like Ben did.

She was a perfect
partner for him.

Ben and
Lynlee have busy lives

with two kids and
two businesses.

Renick Reptiles and a spa

that Lynlee operates
in Columbia, Missouri.

- They're a young, attractive family
with seemingly everything going for them.

They live in the big country
estate out in Missouri

doing this quirky business

that is netting them a literal
million dollar sum to do this.

Some of
Ben's anacondas

are 12 to 15 feet long

and weigh more than 400 pounds.

Large enough to be lethal.

When I saw Ben's
head the way that it was,

his skull had been crushed.

In my mind, the only thing
that could have happened

would've been an
accident with the snakes.

When sheriff's
deputies and EMTs arrive,

they think a k*ller
snake is on the loose.

Ben's wife
Lynlee doesn't think

a snake is responsible
for his death.

Deputies
find themselves

inside a horror movie...

looking for
a missing and anaconda.

Where's the victim?

- Ben, that's Ben Renick.

Uh-huh.

Officers find Ben,

but don't find any evidence of
a k*ller snake on the loose.

He's not under there.

But they do spot
evidence on Ben's body.

The
coroner is sent in.

And soon,

what seems like a
fatal snake attack...

Becomes far more mysterious.

More sinister.

At that point in time,

we were outside the facility.

Then the coroner came out

and he let me know that
it was not a snake attack.

My brother had been shot.

Who shot Ben Renick?

He was successful,

loved.

A rock star in the snake world.

Now everyone's a suspect.

♪ Take a breath ♪

Family and friends are in shock

after they learn that Ben
Renick's been m*rder*d.

But it's so much worse.

They found
shell casings,

b*llet fragments
throughout a snake barn.

Ben was
shot eight times.

His skull was crushed

by that eighth b*llet.

That's why I thought it was
a snake when I first saw him,

because his head was destroyed.

Who could
hate Ben enough

to pull the trigger
over and over?

It's almost
impossible to believe.

- Ben Renick was incredibly
well liked by people.

Members of
the reptile community

like Cheryl and Ben's
best friend Chase

desperately wanna know who
gunned down their colleague,

but there were no weapons
found at the scene.

And if authorities have
a suspect or a motive...

They're not sharing.

♪ I've been washed in
the blood of the lamb ♪

- There was a theory that
perhaps it was a robbery.

♪ Dancing with the devil ♪

Maybe somebody just happened
to stumble upon this barn...

And in a panic...

k*lled the person there.

Or was it
something more personal?

Someone hiding like
a snake in the grass.

Ben's reptiles sell for
thousands of dollars each

and he's got thousands of them.

We didn't
know if maybe somebody

from the reptile
community maybe came in.

Somebody that was looking for a fast
buck to steal some of his snakes.

Maybe he'd been taken by surprise
and it was a robbery gone bad.

But within days,

those closest to Ben confirm,

no snakes were stolen

and nothing else is missing
from the reptile house.

So another theory takes shape.

Before he died,

Ben was working on a deal that
would've changed his life.

Maybe someone in Ben's circle wanted
a piece by any means necessary.

- Ben Renick had made
a million dollar deal

to sell most of his
pythons and anacondas

to a hockey player who is
going to pay the installments.

Two hundred thousand dollars every
quarter throughout the year 2017.

But around the time the
next payment was due...

Ben is k*lled.

What becomes of these snakes,
what becomes of the money?

It seems very contentious.

Ben
Renick is possibly

one of the most meticulous
snake breeders out there.

And so how do you, how
do you maintain it?

- A lot of work. Yeah.
- A lot of work?

- Certainly when you rise
to the top of your game,

there might be a
target on your back.

Maybe a rival reptile
breeder had it out for Ben.

That Ben had something
that they wanted

so they'll go off Ben.

There are people
in the snake community

who might benefit
from Ben's death.

But what about someone
closer to home?

Sam and Ben
did not particularly

get along well
before Ben's m*rder.

That relationship as it
frayed put Sam, I think,

on the lead investigative
radar as well.

Sam and his family

live on the Renick property.

One of the last
times I spoke to Ben,

he was clearly aggravated

and venting about his brother.

There was some kinda
stress going on.

So first person I
thought of was Sam.

Authorities bring
Sam in for questioning.

Sam and
Ben argued over money

and ownership of the property.

Something Ben's widow Lynlee
stands by in her interview.

♪ I've got skeletons
in my closet ♪

Lynlee's not a
fan of her brother-in-law,

but what is Sam thinking
during all of this?

I was initially told that
I was a person of interest

in Ben's m*rder and
I needed to stay put

and I did exactly that.

♪ Don't go snooping around ♪

But what about
Lynlee, Ben's widow?

Authorities have to wonder,
could she be involved?

- Well, I think everybody is
a suspect in the beginning.

♪ The picture's
growing clearer ♪

They
even tracked down

one of Lynlee's former boyfriends who
was at her spa the day of the m*rder.

♪ You're closer
with every clue ♪

Michael
Humphrey is an ex

of Lynlee Renick.

He says he went to
Columbia to get a massage.

So that's where he said
he was on June 8th,

that he did visit the spa, he
got a massage and then he left.

Humphrey
is the dead end.

♪ Don't look back ♪

It's all questions, no answers.

♪ The past is fading ♪

Traumatized, Lynlee
takes the kids

and moves in with her father.

♪ What's to come ♪

But then days after Ben's death,

Lynlee makes an announcement
that throws everyone.

She wants to unload
the snake business

and the farm.

♪ When the walls
keep falling down ♪

- Oh, God, everything was up in
the air with the farm at the time.

Ben had just taken out

a one million dollar life
insurance policy on himself

because he did not have a will.

When he was m*rder*d all of his
assets went directly to Lynlee.

It was shortly after the m*rder
that I was informed though,

that I had about 30 days
to leave the property

because Lynlee
was gonna sell it.

I had a hard time with that.

We had a...

That home was everything to us

and I was alone out there.

I had to make the, I...

I'm glad I didn't k*ll myself.

Got close.

- Oh, sorry.

- Oh. gosh, sorry.

- Gotta calm down.

Sam and his family

are evicted from the house.

♪ I see shadows on the wall ♪

By the fall of 2017,

Cheryl Metula and her boyfriend

are living on the property
to look after Ben's snakes.

- I moved in to Ben's house

after Sam already left.

There was no one else there

to take care of,
uh, Ben's animals.

Four months pass

since Ben Renick was k*lled.

But as far as finding
his m*rder*r...

- At this time, law enforcement
was not willing to talk,

not willing to share updates

other than to say the
investigation is ongoing.

A constant refrain from
the sheriff's office

and the Highway Patrol
throughout this.

Still no updates.

No
updates, no arrests,

no peace of mind.

Cheryl spends every day
at the Renick property

scared out of her mind.

- Living at the farm was
absolutely horrifying.

Because, you know, the
k*ller could come back.

Turns out the k*ller

has been within striking
distance all along.

♪ Little drops of doubt ♪

♪ Dripping down from ♪

♪ My brain and my heart ♪

By the fall of 2017,

police still aren't
revealing any details

about Ben Renick's m*rder,

but Ben's widow Lynlee
has her suspicions.

Maybe it was her
brother-in-law Sam.

Lynlee suggested
that my relationship

with the farm and
the ownership levels

and the fact that I was
gonna have to leave the farm

was motive for me
to-to hurt Ben.

The whole history

of the Renick family farm

is what you would
call complicated.

Back in the '80s, Ben and
Sam's father Frank Renick

started a pet food company.

Then he bought the land
and built a big house

where he raised his two boys.

- Unfortunately,
there was a gas leak.

The house filled with
gas and it exploded...

And completely
destroyed the home.

And then immediately
after that happened,

my mother was diagnosed with
stage four breast cancer.

♪ We lost our way ♪

My father attempted to
maintain the company,

and however, with
my mother being ill,

a lot of the focus
went to-to her.

Frank spent 15
years juggling the company,

the property, and his
wife's medical bills

until it all came crashing
down on June 4th, 2012.

20-29, come in.

- Frank Renick is indicted
by a federal grand jury.

Unfortunately, he
had taken investors' money

and he used it to pay
back other investors,

and, and by the time we knew
it was, it was too late.

Frank ripped
off a lot of people.

9-1-1.

It was
millions of dollars

and it could come
back to bite him.

- We were gonna lose
our family farm.

Frank wasn't
willing to let that happen.

Unfortunately,
he took his life

on Father's Day.

And Ben was the one that
found him in his home.

In a desperate
attempt to salvage

something for his sons,
Frank shot himself.

So maybe Frank's scam
five years earlier,

provoked a k*ller to
finally seek revenge

and sh**t his young son.

- It had to have been
somebody from the past

that still harbored
a lot of bad feelings

about his dad's legal problems.

Maybe one of the investors.

We definitely
thought that

that could have been an issue

that related to Ben's m*rder.

However, we didn't know.

Until one
day in October, 2017,

four months after Ben's death.

- We had someone come to the
property looking for Sam.

We said he no longer lived
on the property, he was gone.

Then this guy said he
heard about the m*rder,

what happened and details,

and he apparently knew
Ben got shot in the head.

We were, of course, a little
freaked out about that.

We contacted the authorities.

Suddenly
investigators

have another potential suspect.

It was possible

that one of Frank's investors

wanted a little bit of revenge.

The fact that one of the

"supposed investors" showed up

and knew these details
that we didn't even know.

So we were suspicious of him.

As
investigators search

for a scorned investor,

friends and family noticed
there's something up with Lynlee.

- I think she had wanted
to put this behind us

and start over as
she very quickly,

soon after entered into
another relationship.

Lynlee's
new boyfriend

is a local man named
Brandon Blackwell.

You really can't
judge someone, you know,

you lost the love of your life.

You need that, you need
some kind of comfort there.

Then
in January, 2018,

seven months after Ben's death,

Lynlee dropped some crazy news.

- She's like, just so you're
not surprised, I'm pregnant.

And I'm like, "Wow."

You know.

And we were, we
were quite shocked.

So Lynlee
and Brandon ended up

getting their own
little townhouse,

but she was looking a lot healthier
now that she was pregnant.

Lynlee
appears to be moving on

while the investigation
into Ben's m*rder

is stuck in place.

- I'm constantly
in touch with Sam

or a couple of the Highway
Patrolmen that I know personally.

We've been asking, you know,

what's going on
with Ben's m*rder?

Where's the investigation?

If you don't catch a m*rder
right away, it goes cold.

And so we were really
worried that this somebody

has gotten away with m*rder.

Months turn
into two and a half years

of frustration, grief, pain.

Then in early January, 2020,

investigators get lucky.

Lynlee's boyfriend Brandon
Blackwell is arrested

on criminal charges,
including stalking.

And for years of nothing
comes something big.

On January 14th, 2020,

Brandon Blackwell claims
to have information

about Ben Renick's m*rder.

♪ In the tug I feel
it come to life ♪

♪ The way it grows
inside of me ♪

Two and a half years

after the m*rder of Ben Renick,

there's a break
in his cold case.

Lynlee's boyfriend Brandon
Blackwell has just been arrested.

And he's got a secret to share.

He says he knows who k*lled Ben.

- It was because of
Brandon coming forward

that we were able to get the
case finally moving again.

Brandon has a baby

with Ben's widow Lynlee Renick.

But after their child is born,
the relationship blows up

and Lynlee files a
restraining order against him.

- So Brandon Blackwell has his
own legal troubles to worry about.

He's charged
with two counts

of first degree stalking

and five counts of violating
a restraining order.

He's in jail with
a pretty significant bond.

For violating the protection order
that Lynlee took out against him

and in a moment
of incarceration,

had something to give in
order to get something.

Over the course of
Brandon's relationship with Lynlee,

he'd ask her about Ben's m*rder

and something felt

off.

- He tells Missouri State
Highway Patrol investigators

that Lynlee had shot Ben.

- Brandon said Lynlee
was the one who did it.

But is
Brandon lying?

Trying to fire back at Lynlee
for getting him thrown in jail?

Why would Lynlee k*ll Ben?

- He had just sold his snakes
for almost a million dollars.

He, according to the bank,

was the sole owner
of that property.

And so when that happened,
everything went to Lynlee.

♪ I'm on a mission, I'm about
my business, I gotta get it ♪

Between the life
insurance money...

♪ I'm on a mission, I'm about
my business, I gotta get it ♪

a million dollars.

The sale of snakes,
a million dollars

and about a million
dollar family farm.

She was set to inherit...

♪ I'm on a mission, I'm about
my business, I gotta get it ♪

Quite a bit after
my brother's death.

Inheriting
money isn't a crime,

but it can be one
hell of a motive.

We wanted
to still believe that,

you know, she was
innocent of everything.

Brandon
tells investigators

not to take his word for it.

Then he gives police two names.

Ashley Shaw and Rachel Hunt.

They worked for
Lynlee at her spa.

- Hi, I'm Ashley,
I'm the spa manager.

- I'm Rachel and I'm one
of the estheticians here.

- And it wasn't until after that

that the police had reached out

to Ashley Shaw and Rachel Hunt.

♪ You got something to hide ♪

♪ Secrets behind these lies ♪

So Ashley
Shaw and Rachel Hunt

have the same story

that Lynlee admitted
she pulled the trigger.

Ashley Shaw has
essentially told police

that she knew about
Lynlee's plot to k*ll Ben.

And in fact helped her
with certain aspects of it.

The state has given her immunity

from first degree m*rder charges

in exchange for giving
up this information.

The plot
includes a name

that rings a bell
with investigators,

someone police questioned
right after Ben was shot.

Lynlee Renick's ex-boyfriend,

Michael Humphrey.

In June of 2017,

Highway Patrol
interviews Michael

and they start asking him,

"Do you know Lynlee Renick?

Were you with her on
June 8th of 2017?"

At the time,

Michael claimed he got a
massage at Lynlee's spa

the day Ben was k*lled
and then he went home.

In 2017,

police had no reason
to hold Michael,

so they let him go.

In 2020,

not so much.

- My name is Michael Humphrey.

And I'm currently housed

in the Jefferson City
Correctional Center.

Michael now
admits he went to the farm

with Lynlee the day Ben died.

Earlier
Lynlee was filling me in

on some different abuse
situations that was going on

with her and Ben.

From physical altercations to
different sexual altercations.

She was like, "Can you
go out there with me?

I need somebody that I trust."

Then she ends up telling me that
she's going to try to k*ll him

or wants somebody
to try to k*ll him.

On the
afternoon of June 8th,

Michael says he picked
Lynlee up at the spa

and they drove to the farm.

About 45 minutes away.

We're out there
in the middle of nowhere.

I figure she's
gonna go down there

and have her conversation
that she needs to have.

I'm more locked in on that there's
a whole lot of snakes to this.

And then the next thing I
hear is a g*nsh*t go off.

When I look up, I see
her posed up like this

with a firearm in her hand.

On the way out the door, I hear
another two or three shots.

After I'm outside,
another one or two.

Later I'm told there
was eight total.

Humphrey
swears up and down

he had nothing to
do with Ben's death.

- Never meant for
anybody to get hurt.

I don't know the guy.

I don't have any bad intentions
for the guy whatsoever.

On
January 16th, 2020,

two and a half years after
Ben Renick is gunned down,

police are finally
ready to make a move.

So Michael and Lynlee

were both arrested and charged
for first degree m*rder.

♪ The mystery in you
just pulls me in ♪

- My ex-boyfriend
got a phone call

that Lynlee was being arrested.

♪ Can't you see my eyes? ♪

♪ I'm hypnotized ♪

When he told me that, I
cried, um, I felt horrible.

It still didn't make sense.

- I just couldn't believe
it, It just broke my heart.

Knowing how their
relationship was,

knowing Lynlee and
how sweet and loving

and she, she is not
the Lynlee I knew.

♪ I'm under your spell again ♪

But
it's not so easy.

Investigators have confessions
and eyewitness accounts,

but little to no hard evidence.

Who really pulled the trigger?

So they look at every
bit of information

they've collected on Ben Renick,

including his phone records.

- They had the messages that
they were able to look at,

text messages between
Ben and his friend Chase.

Chase and
Ben are great friends.

They text each other
nearly every day

and in those text messages,

a disturbing conspiracy
comes into focus.

A calculating plot with poison.

- May 24th of 2017.

"I have a fun story.

"Food poisoning is dumb.

Or just poisoning."

And Ben believes

Lynlee is the one
who poisoned him.

Chase, "LMFAO.

I literally think y'all were
poisoned at this point."

Ben, "Agreed.

Or it was Lynlee all along."

- Once the police
took a closer look,

they realized there
was more there.

It was definitely a red flag.

9-1-1. What's the
address of the emergency?

Did Lynlee Renick

finish what she started
with eight b*ll*ts?

In a series of
texts before his m*rder,

Ben Renick offers clues
about who wanted him dead.

♪ Now I've been haunting ♪

♪ Wrapping my arms around you ♪

The clues
point to his wife Lynlee.

But first a little backstory.

♪ Only death knows ♪

♪ Are you afraid, are
you afraid of dying? ♪

It begins about two weeks
before Ben is k*lled.

- May 23rd, 2017.

Lynlee had told a spa
employee Ashley Shaw

that Ben had been a*usive.

Lynlee never filed any police reports
about the alleged physical abuse.

Ashley felt sorry for Lynlee
and wanted to help her.

Ashley and Lynlee got about
12 to 15 Percocet pills.

And their plan was to grind
up the Percocet pills...

And put them in a smoothie.

Lynlee gave it to Ben
under the guise of,

"Could you please
try this shake?

We're thinking of
selling it to customers."

Shortly after Ben and
Lynlee both drink the shake,

Ben becomes very ill.

- If he hadn't thrown up,
he probably would've died.

Ben tells his
friend Chase what happened.

May 24th of 2017.

"LMAO.

"Why would she do
it to herself too?

"Maybe the customer gave
it to you and laughed

because they dislike
their service."

Ben, "Right?

"Maybe, who knows why.

She didn't seem as
bad as me, so..."

From Chase,

"LMAO. Lighter dose."

From Ben,

"Besides, she needs the deal

"to pan out first before I die,

"she would walk away
with legit three mil

"before selling property
for another mil.

"If I died next year,

"Lynlee would be set for life.

f*ck."

The
deal calls for Ben

to be paid in installments.

Ben was in the
process of selling

a large majority of his
snakes to a-a major buyer

and Ben had received
payments in part

for the first half
of this transaction

and the other rest
of the transaction

should have just
sailed right through.

However, when Ben
was m*rder*d, um,

it was renegotiated.

This m*rder had everything
to do with money.

♪ Truth be told, I'm leaving ♪

♪ You're so cruel, you're
the devil in disguise ♪

♪ Death on the path
you're leading ♪

♪ I've seen the
madness in your eyes ♪

Now Lynlee and her
ex-boyfriend Michael Humphrey

both face charges of
first degree m*rder.

But only one of them shot Ben.

- Humphrey claims that

Lynlee is the one that
pulled the trigger,

while Lynlee claims that Michael Humphrey
is the one that pulled the trigger.

Michael
goes on trial first

in October, 2021.

More than four years
after Ben's death.

The state
says Michael knows

what they're going to go and do,

that under the law

he bears as much
legal responsibility

for the charge of first
degree m*rder, as does Lynlee,

who the state says
pulled the trigger.

The defense argues

Michael only drove
Lynlee to the farm,

that he never
planned to hurt Ben.

- So I took it upon myself to
bring her a firearm that I'd had.

When I went into the spa
that day and I told her,

"You could use this
for self-defense."

And then I gave
her that firearm.

I do not believe
Humphrey saying that

he went there not knowing
what was gonna happen.

I genuinely believe he did go there
with a full, you know, intent to do it

and she ended up just

doing it herself.

The jury
deliberates for a few hours

before returning a verdict.

Michael Humphrey is guilty
of first degree m*rder.

- When they first initially
announced the verdict, disbelief,

a hundred percent disbelief.

- The state had waived the
death penalty in this case.

He has only one
sentence he can receive

and that his life in
prison without parole.

- It's a lot to take in.

You're never going home.

- His fate's been sealed
with this conviction.

Two months later,

Lynlee Renick
m*rder trial begins.

This is the person

they say pulled the trigger.

This is Ben's wife,

this is the state trying
to prove who did this.

If they can't prove this,

then what is their
theory anyway?

During the trial,

it came out that Ben and Lynlee
had fought over the finances

of the spa, which
weren't going well.

I believe she's pulling
money out of the spa

for personal use
and-and other things,

things that Ben
didn't even know about

and that he was going to be informed of
that by the bank prior to the m*rder.

These financial issues

are a huge part of the case

because it also speaks

to what motive Lynlee may
have had to k*ll Ben Renick.

If he's questioning her business
acumen, hounding her about money

and that might upset
someone to the point

that they maybe wanna
k*ll that person.

Prosecutors
also reveal

Lynlee's history of cheating.

They
were together.

- Right.

This wasn't
the fairytale marriage

everyone thought it was.

- During the marriage
she had numerous affairs.

She had a very active

Ashley Madison account

while she was married
to my brother.

And she was involved in multiple
affairs prior to the m*rder.

And they just
always seemed happy.

It just warps your reality.

And then
another surprise,

the defense calls
their star witness.

It's not often that
somebody takes the stand

in their own defense.

♪ Play along with the game ♪

- Hey, I'm Lynlee Renick.

♪ Do whatever it takes ♪

When she
got on the stand,

she knew exactly
what she was doing.

- Ben started really,
getting really upset

about all of the time that
I was focusing on the kids

instead of dedicating it
to him and Renick Reptiles.

- Lynlee testified that

she had gone out
there with Michael

to confront Ben about a divorce.

- Michael turned around and
I saw a g*n in his hands

and then I heard shots.

And everything just went numb.

♪ Who did we become? ♪

And then she
was so distraught,

she got back in the car with him

and went about her day.

Continuing to text
Michael, other people.

She even put it on a show for
the school to pick up the kids.

She covered her tracks

before and after the m*rder.

Do you regret it?

- Yes.

She was the "woe
is me, I'm the victim."

To me that was a complete show.

Complete BS.

Both sides
rested their case

and the jury goes out to look
over all of the evidence.

And we're feeling
pretty confident.

You know, that she's
gonna get life.

And the longer, the
more hours go by,

the more concerned
we're getting.

In the Show-Me
state of Missouri,

juries can convict for
first degree m*rder

or settle on a lesser offense.

Juries also determine the
sentence for any reduced charge.

So when the decision
finally arrives,

everyone is holding
their breath.

- The jury in
Lynlee Renick's case

says that she was guilty of
m*rder in the second degree.

They gave her 13 years,

just over the minimum of ten

and three years for
armed criminal action.

I don't know
what they were thinking.

Somehow they got confused.

You're awful lucky, ma'am.

You're gonna get
out in your 40s,

and my 40s weren't too bad.

I just hope you
don't k*ll again.

That's it.

In a way, Sam
Renick was right all along.

His little brother
was k*lled by a snake.

- It's tough, I mean, she would've
gotten more years in prison

if she had walked in there and
k*lled all of those snakes.

Eight b*ll*ts into my
brother's 29-year-old body.

He deserved better.

In the long
run at this point,

I'm the one sitting
here on a life sentence

while she has 13 years.

That's... that's

unbelievable.

Despite her
sentence, in the end,

Ben was able to catch his k*ller

through the messages
he left behind.

- It was a crucial part of the case in
keeping Lynlee squarely in their sights

and obviously played a
huge part in the trial.

Lynlee's gonna
be out someday.

I want her to know that
she'll never be free of this.

I won't forget and I don't
want others to, either.

♪ I don't know where
my head is lately ♪

♪ Have I lost my mind? ♪

♪ But I know that
I have a secret ♪

♪ And it's only mine ♪

♪ And the only way to find me ♪

♪ Is to go beneath the lies ♪