Lynlee Renick's friends, father testify during her murder trial of her husband
The Defense has started its case in the Lynlee Renick first-degree murder trial.
Renick is accused of killing her husband, Ben, a well-known Montgomery County snake breeder, June 8, 2017, allegedly shooting him 8 times.
Renick is alleged to have conspired with two co-workers of her Columbia spa, Ascensia, and a former boyfriend to kill Ben Renick.
The co-workers, Ashley Shaw and Rachel Hunt, took immunity deals with the prosecution.
Michael Humphrey, the former boyfriend, was convicted in October of the crime. He provided the location of the alleged murder weapon after his conviction to receive a lesser charge and sentence in January.
The prosecution, for their part, did not definitively confirm who shot the gun that killed Ben Renick. Witness testimony placed Humphrey and Lynee Renick at the Montgomery County crime scene and Humphrey in his testimony Monday said that it was Lynlee who shot Ben.
Friends of Lynlee Renick take the stand
Lifelong friend of Lynlee Renick, Brittany Bishop, was first to take the stand for the defense Tuesday.
In early questioning from defense attorney Katherine Berger, Bishop said that Lynlee is a quiet and meek person, who is more of a follower than a leader, who Bishop had never seen handle firearms or be violent.
Bishop called Lynlee Renick after hearing about an alleged snake attack in New Florence, which was the location of Ben Renick's breeding operation. Lynlee was hysterical when called, Bishop testified.
Bishop would stay with Lynlee at the Renick household in the days and weeks after Ben Renick's death.
"She was a wreck. She acted as though her whole world had fallen apart and it just had," Bishop said. "We were having a hard time getting her to eat and drink. We had to force it on her."
When Bishop was questioned by the Missouri Highway Patrol, she told them she never thought Lynlee could have killed her husband, after a question from Berger.
More: Witness testifies about role in allegedly helping Lynlee Renick plan to kill snake breeder husband
Because they were close friends, Bishop thought she was a person to which Lynlee Renick could confide, Bishop said during cross-examination from special prosecutor Kevin Zoellner.
"You were wrong about her," he said, to which Bishop said she thought so. "She lied about all of the affairs she was engaged in."
Another friend of Lynlee backed up Bishop's testimony for how Lynlee was acting after Ben Renick's death.
"She was very distraught. Wasn't eating, drinking well. Was having a hard time getting out of bed or doing much of anything," said April Shaw, who met Lynlee through Lynlee's father, Lyndell Gallatin.
Shaw is an infusion nurse specializing in patients with bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia, and was helping in Gallatin's treatment of the genetic disorder.
Lynlee Renick never shared with April Shaw about her affairs, her alleged presence at the snake breeding facility around the time of her husband's death or her spa's financial issues, April Shaw said under questions from Berger.
Shaw, under questions from Zoellner, said she would not have expected to be the kind of friend for Lynlee that knew more intimate details of Lynlee's life.
Zoellner, through his questioning, made the argument that a person not eating also could be stress-induced, such as law enforcement investigations surrounding the circumstances of a spouse's death, he said.
Lynlee Renick's father defends daughter
Gallatin also was called to the stand and testified that his daughter is not a violent person and while does not have extensive experience with firearms, though he has seen her shoot a gun before.
This was when she was young and Gallatin wanted his daughters to understand the weight of a gun — in this case a .22 caliber rifle, he said. This did not inspire an interest in guns for Lynlee, Gallatin said, answering a question from Berger.
Gallatin testified that Lynlee was in complete shock on the day of Ben's death and in the days and weeks after. Lynlee was seen to briefly and quietly cry during her father's testimony.
Lynlee is alleged to have started an affair with Brandon Blackwell sometime around Ben Renick's death.
More: Columbia spa owner charged with murder
She would eventually take out protection orders against Blackwell. It was Blackwell who went to the Missouri Highway Patrol with information that led to Lynlee's arrest in January 2020.
Gallatin once had to call the police with regard to Blackwell, he testified, alleging Blackwell had forcibly confined Lynlee and her children. Charges were filed against Blackwell relating to this incident.
The defense had moved to exclude Blackwell's testimony before the trial. He is facing charges of violating protection orders and stalking.
Zoellner through questioning Gallatin argued that Lynlee has lied to her father, citing her extramarital affairs.
"There are things she keeps from you," Zoellner said, to which Gallatin agreed.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Lynlee Renick defense lawyer calls father, friends to testify
