1 00:00:07,007 --> 00:00:09,092 [intense music playing] 2 00:00:17,058 --> 00:00:18,476 [music ends] 3 00:00:24,274 --> 00:00:26,275 [operator] 911, what's your emergency? 4 00:00:26,276 --> 00:00:28,152 [man] These people, they're nuts. 5 00:00:28,153 --> 00:00:30,905 They're stalking us. They're harassing us. 6 00:00:31,656 --> 00:00:32,906 [operator] Your name? 7 00:00:32,907 --> 00:00:34,158 [man] Michael Barisone. 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,286 B-A-R-I-S-O-N-E. 9 00:00:37,829 --> 00:00:39,872 [woman] I've been shot in the heart! 10 00:00:39,873 --> 00:00:41,623 {\an8}411 Westmill Drive. 11 00:00:41,624 --> 00:00:42,708 {\an8}411... 12 00:00:42,709 --> 00:00:46,378 {\an8}A former U.S. Olympian charged with two counts of attempted murder. 13 00:00:46,379 --> 00:00:48,422 {\an8}[reporter 1] He shot and injured another rider 14 00:00:48,423 --> 00:00:50,549 {\an8}who lived and trained on his property. 15 00:00:50,550 --> 00:00:53,302 {\an8}[Michael] This is a war. It's gonna be dealt with right now. 16 00:00:53,303 --> 00:00:54,678 {\an8}We're under siege here. 17 00:00:54,679 --> 00:00:58,474 {\an8}[reporter 2] Police say they found a woman with multiple gunshot wounds 18 00:00:58,475 --> 00:01:01,101 {\an8}and former Olympian Michael Barisone. 19 00:01:01,102 --> 00:01:04,021 {\an8}[reporter 3] Michael Barisone is facing 60 years in prison. 20 00:01:04,022 --> 00:01:08,067 {\an8}His attorneys plan to argue the insanity defense as well. 21 00:01:08,068 --> 00:01:09,401 {\an8}A rare strategy. 22 00:01:09,402 --> 00:01:13,072 {\an8}Claiming Lauren used social media to push him to his breaking point. 23 00:01:13,073 --> 00:01:15,240 {\an8}[Michael] They are clients here at our stable. 24 00:01:15,241 --> 00:01:17,785 {\an8}The situation is getting worse and worse and worse. 25 00:01:17,786 --> 00:01:19,661 {\an8}We are in fear for our lives. 26 00:01:19,662 --> 00:01:24,501 {\an8}[man] Michael was driven over the edge by Lauren Kanarek. 27 00:01:25,293 --> 00:01:27,837 [reporter 4] Can social media be its own weapon? 28 00:01:28,421 --> 00:01:31,840 {\an8}What Lauren Kanarek did to him was horrible! 29 00:01:31,841 --> 00:01:36,095 He had no recollection of what had happened in this instance. 30 00:01:36,096 --> 00:01:39,598 I find it hard to believe that you could shoot somebody and not remember. 31 00:01:39,599 --> 00:01:41,975 [woman] He was painting a picture in the courtroom. 32 00:01:41,976 --> 00:01:44,520 This is acting. This is theater that you're watching. 33 00:01:44,521 --> 00:01:48,857 There's no memory disorder that happens just when someone's committing a crime. 34 00:01:48,858 --> 00:01:52,028 He knew when he opened the safe and took that gun 35 00:01:52,695 --> 00:01:55,657 exactly what he was going to do. 36 00:01:59,702 --> 00:02:01,036 [Michael] I'm taking my life back. 37 00:02:01,037 --> 00:02:02,205 [horse snorts] 38 00:02:03,248 --> 00:02:04,706 [gunshot] 39 00:02:04,707 --> 00:02:06,542 [woman] I'm losing a lot of blood. 40 00:02:06,543 --> 00:02:07,751 Washington Township! 41 00:02:07,752 --> 00:02:11,255 [operator] Okay, you're at 411 Westmill, Washington Township. Okay? 42 00:02:11,256 --> 00:02:13,633 - [woman] I'm... - [operator] Okay. Ma'am, where... 43 00:02:29,566 --> 00:02:34,237 [woman] Most people know by the time they're four or five years old 44 00:02:35,446 --> 00:02:38,408 if they're a horse person or not. 45 00:02:40,451 --> 00:02:41,451 [whistles] 46 00:02:41,452 --> 00:02:44,830 {\an8}I knew that when I was exactly that age. 47 00:02:44,831 --> 00:02:45,832 {\an8}I'm a horse person. 48 00:02:46,416 --> 00:02:48,376 [sing-song] Symphony! 49 00:02:50,128 --> 00:02:51,546 I have six horses. 50 00:02:52,255 --> 00:02:55,758 They each have their completely entirely separate personalities. 51 00:02:57,719 --> 00:02:59,721 Evie. [clicks tongue] Come here. 52 00:03:00,305 --> 00:03:04,433 The minute you walk into a barn, they're always waiting to see you. 53 00:03:04,434 --> 00:03:05,852 Who's my good boy? 54 00:03:06,352 --> 00:03:09,980 I think even a person that's never been around a horse before, 55 00:03:09,981 --> 00:03:11,481 bring them to me, 56 00:03:11,482 --> 00:03:13,984 I will show them a miracle in the making. 57 00:03:13,985 --> 00:03:16,321 I will show them why horses are special. 58 00:03:16,863 --> 00:03:18,405 [soft music playing] 59 00:03:18,406 --> 00:03:20,533 [man 1] When God created the horse, 60 00:03:21,367 --> 00:03:23,536 he said to the magnificent creature, 61 00:03:24,370 --> 00:03:26,539 "I have made thee as no other." 62 00:03:27,665 --> 00:03:28,874 [pistol fires] 63 00:03:28,875 --> 00:03:33,338 [woman 1] They're something out of a story book. Like a fairy tale. 64 00:03:34,631 --> 00:03:36,548 [man 2] Horses are marvelous animals. 65 00:03:36,549 --> 00:03:38,008 They've been man's companion 66 00:03:38,009 --> 00:03:41,011 for we don't know how many thousands of years. 67 00:03:41,012 --> 00:03:43,931 [Lauren] Horse people are people that understand 68 00:03:43,932 --> 00:03:46,225 that horses are not just things that you see 69 00:03:46,226 --> 00:03:48,435 on someone's property eating grass. 70 00:03:48,436 --> 00:03:51,230 A horse girl is, like, someone that likes horses? 71 00:03:51,231 --> 00:03:53,483 {\an8}[man 3] Yeah, but it's an energy... 72 00:03:54,275 --> 00:03:55,235 [woman 2] Hello. 73 00:03:57,153 --> 00:03:59,988 [man 4] There are over eight million horses in America, 74 00:03:59,989 --> 00:04:02,074 and perhaps twice that many riders. 75 00:04:02,075 --> 00:04:03,701 [crowd cheering] 76 00:04:04,494 --> 00:04:05,995 [Lauren] My father would ask me, 77 00:04:06,663 --> 00:04:09,581 "Don't you get bored getting on a horse and riding it around?" 78 00:04:09,582 --> 00:04:11,250 I'm like, "What?" 79 00:04:11,251 --> 00:04:14,002 It's the most exciting thing in the world, riding a horse. 80 00:04:14,003 --> 00:04:15,171 Walk on, walk on. 81 00:04:15,838 --> 00:04:16,714 Come on. 82 00:04:17,715 --> 00:04:19,050 Looks like she's walking. 83 00:04:19,550 --> 00:04:23,887 I'm the type of person that is, like, people love you immediately, 84 00:04:23,888 --> 00:04:26,224 and they're like, "You're my people, for sure." 85 00:04:29,018 --> 00:04:30,852 But for other people, 86 00:04:30,853 --> 00:04:35,315 I come off maybe a bit strong at times. 87 00:04:35,316 --> 00:04:37,901 "Why does she sound so, like, entitled?" 88 00:04:37,902 --> 00:04:39,945 They always use the word "entitled." 89 00:04:39,946 --> 00:04:42,447 There's nothing about me that is entitled. 90 00:04:42,448 --> 00:04:45,617 Like, I work very hard at what I do. 91 00:04:45,618 --> 00:04:47,244 I'll do this. Thank you. 92 00:04:47,245 --> 00:04:48,328 [man] You wanna do it? 93 00:04:48,329 --> 00:04:50,330 [Lauren] Roll it up tighter than usual. 94 00:04:50,331 --> 00:04:52,667 Like, pre-roll it tighter than usual. 95 00:04:53,710 --> 00:04:55,585 I have to recheck your work on that. 96 00:04:55,586 --> 00:04:58,547 - [man] Huh? - I feel like I need to recheck your work. 97 00:04:58,548 --> 00:05:02,260 You put enough time into something, you get better and better. 98 00:05:02,844 --> 00:05:06,180 And if you do have patience in this sport, 99 00:05:07,056 --> 00:05:09,267 the right people will come along and help you. 100 00:05:11,853 --> 00:05:13,479 March of 2018, 101 00:05:13,980 --> 00:05:16,273 my trainer at the time mentioned the name, 102 00:05:16,274 --> 00:05:19,276 "Oh, I'm gonna go do a clinic with Michael Barisone." 103 00:05:19,277 --> 00:05:22,864 [announcer] For the Grand Prix Special, Safir and Michael Barisone. 104 00:05:23,698 --> 00:05:25,073 [Lauren] I just Googled him 105 00:05:25,074 --> 00:05:28,661 and saw, like, that he was on the 2008 Olympic team. 106 00:05:29,287 --> 00:05:32,205 And I'm not saying I'm looking to go be an Olympian. 107 00:05:32,206 --> 00:05:34,834 My goal as a rider was the journey of it. 108 00:05:35,626 --> 00:05:38,713 I wanted to ride my horses every single day 109 00:05:39,213 --> 00:05:42,049 and learn as much as you can possibly learn 110 00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:44,427 from somebody who knows more than you do. 111 00:05:48,639 --> 00:05:50,808 [Michael] I got involved with riding as a kid. 112 00:05:51,434 --> 00:05:53,393 Pretty epic failure at jumping. 113 00:05:53,394 --> 00:05:56,521 And, uh, dressage was what I gravitated to 114 00:05:56,522 --> 00:05:57,899 because I was good at it. 115 00:05:58,733 --> 00:06:01,318 {\an8}[woman] Dressage is a French word that means training. 116 00:06:01,319 --> 00:06:03,278 {\an8}[man] It's beauty in motion. 117 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:05,280 Ladies on horses, men as well. 118 00:06:05,281 --> 00:06:07,116 And it's got a deep, deep history. 119 00:06:08,451 --> 00:06:12,080 [Michael] Dressage is based on horsemanship in the battlefield, 120 00:06:12,830 --> 00:06:16,375 where a horse had to learn to move sideways, forward, and backward 121 00:06:16,376 --> 00:06:19,212 and obediently follow the commands of its rider. 122 00:06:20,254 --> 00:06:23,466 {\an8}[woman] You're doing it with this particular position of the head, 123 00:06:23,966 --> 00:06:25,426 {\an8}the position of the body. 124 00:06:26,928 --> 00:06:30,431 Everything has to be harmonious and rhythmical. 125 00:06:31,641 --> 00:06:34,602 And we have to instill those things in a horse first. 126 00:06:35,436 --> 00:06:40,233 Training a horse is about teaching the horse to accept your aids, 127 00:06:41,025 --> 00:06:43,194 your legs, your hands, 128 00:06:43,903 --> 00:06:47,740 so the horse learns to be responsive, acceptant of the rider. 129 00:06:48,533 --> 00:06:50,243 That is a very hard job. 130 00:06:50,743 --> 00:06:52,577 [woman 2] We are asking the horses to perform 131 00:06:52,578 --> 00:06:55,498 to the utmost of their athletic gymnastic ability. 132 00:06:56,666 --> 00:06:59,501 Yet they must do it as a dancer must perform leaps, 133 00:06:59,502 --> 00:07:01,003 making it look easy. 134 00:07:02,588 --> 00:07:04,590 [graceful music playing] 135 00:07:05,508 --> 00:07:07,259 [music fades] 136 00:07:07,260 --> 00:07:09,594 [Michael] The Olympics are a very interesting competition, 137 00:07:09,595 --> 00:07:12,306 particularly when it comes to equestrian. 138 00:07:13,349 --> 00:07:15,475 Twenty-five Olympic Games in a century. 139 00:07:15,476 --> 00:07:17,687 Four people go on a dressage team. 140 00:07:18,229 --> 00:07:22,357 That means there's a maximum of 100 people in a century 141 00:07:22,358 --> 00:07:24,943 who represent their country at the Olympic Games in dressage. 142 00:07:24,944 --> 00:07:27,362 [man] Two, one, ignition. 143 00:07:27,363 --> 00:07:31,075 [Michael] It's about the size of the club who have ridden a rocket into space. 144 00:07:31,576 --> 00:07:34,035 But I consider myself a decent competitor. 145 00:07:34,036 --> 00:07:36,413 I think I'm an excellent horse trainer. 146 00:07:36,414 --> 00:07:40,751 Is this fair and reasonable to the horse, 147 00:07:41,294 --> 00:07:44,546 and can he mentally understand what I'm asking him to do? 148 00:07:44,547 --> 00:07:47,424 Most professional horse people, myself included, 149 00:07:47,425 --> 00:07:49,384 we make our money in various ways. 150 00:07:49,385 --> 00:07:52,472 We take riders and horses in training in our stables. 151 00:07:53,055 --> 00:07:54,723 Somebody brings their horse to you. 152 00:07:54,724 --> 00:07:57,184 I say, "I'll keep the horse in my stable." 153 00:07:57,185 --> 00:07:59,394 Some clients, I ride the horse myself. They never ride. 154 00:07:59,395 --> 00:08:03,023 Other clients want me to teach them every day, or one of my staff. 155 00:08:03,024 --> 00:08:04,983 That's what it is about contact and push. 156 00:08:04,984 --> 00:08:07,569 If they misbehave, you feel what they're doing before. 157 00:08:07,570 --> 00:08:08,862 You know what I mean? 158 00:08:08,863 --> 00:08:12,532 I taught a seminar to one of my top Grand Prix rider students 159 00:08:12,533 --> 00:08:14,993 in the beginning of 2018. 160 00:08:14,994 --> 00:08:19,080 And this woman says, "Oh, by the way, I'm coming for the month of March." 161 00:08:19,081 --> 00:08:24,378 "I would like to bring my student with me for one month to train." 162 00:08:24,962 --> 00:08:26,631 "Her name's Lauren Kanarek." 163 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:29,216 Lauren Kanarek called me, 164 00:08:29,217 --> 00:08:32,260 and she gushed about how she knew who I was 165 00:08:32,261 --> 00:08:33,930 and had researched my success. 166 00:08:35,348 --> 00:08:38,684 She wanted to come train, and what an honor it was gonna be. 167 00:08:39,185 --> 00:08:41,394 [Lauren] He's like, "You gotta train with the best." 168 00:08:41,395 --> 00:08:45,732 "You gotta be in the best places with the best trainer available." 169 00:08:45,733 --> 00:08:48,193 "You have everything it takes to go to the Olympics." 170 00:08:48,194 --> 00:08:49,945 "You have great horses." 171 00:08:49,946 --> 00:08:52,364 "You know, you have the ambition. You're driven." 172 00:08:52,365 --> 00:08:55,283 He just talks such a good game. 173 00:08:55,284 --> 00:08:57,619 By the end, he had me saying to him, 174 00:08:57,620 --> 00:08:59,580 like, "Where do I sign up?" 175 00:09:01,874 --> 00:09:05,294 [Michael] Hawthorne Hill was my sanctuary. 176 00:09:06,379 --> 00:09:08,464 It was my peaceful place. 177 00:09:09,882 --> 00:09:12,842 It was in this beautiful valley an hour from New York City. 178 00:09:12,843 --> 00:09:15,053 And you would've thought you were in Tennessee. 179 00:09:15,054 --> 00:09:16,055 It was idyllic. 180 00:09:16,556 --> 00:09:19,266 And I built a large portion of it with my own two hands. 181 00:09:19,267 --> 00:09:21,811 It was my sweat and blood and heart. 182 00:09:23,479 --> 00:09:25,940 It was designed as kind of a campus. 183 00:09:26,941 --> 00:09:29,777 I was the overseer of training. 184 00:09:31,737 --> 00:09:36,158 {\an8}When you get me, you get my team. You get Justin Hardin, my right-hand man. 185 00:09:36,909 --> 00:09:38,618 You get Mary Haskins Gray. 186 00:09:38,619 --> 00:09:42,540 {\an8}She was a dressage rider and my girlfriend at that time. 187 00:09:43,249 --> 00:09:44,666 I lived on the property. 188 00:09:44,667 --> 00:09:47,545 Mary Haskins Gray lived with me most of the time. 189 00:09:48,129 --> 00:09:51,382 {\an8}And Lauren stayed in the apartment with her boyfriend, Rob. 190 00:09:52,133 --> 00:09:54,175 {\an8}Her father was heavily involved. 191 00:09:54,176 --> 00:09:56,344 {\an8}He said, "Send the bills to me. I'll pay them." 192 00:09:56,345 --> 00:10:00,515 {\an8}Lauren had two horses at the time that, uh, Michael was gonna train. 193 00:10:00,516 --> 00:10:05,021 {\an8}And, uh, Michael invited her up and said, "You know, I happen to have a spot." 194 00:10:05,605 --> 00:10:08,481 "The place is beautifully furnished, and Lauren can live there." 195 00:10:08,482 --> 00:10:10,609 And I said, "Great. She's on the property." 196 00:10:10,610 --> 00:10:14,195 She's a seven-minute walk to the barn, which is at the same address. 197 00:10:14,196 --> 00:10:16,072 And it was all settled. 198 00:10:16,073 --> 00:10:18,908 Lauren had a place to live. She had two horses being trained. 199 00:10:18,909 --> 00:10:20,202 Everyone was happy. 200 00:10:21,579 --> 00:10:22,996 [Michael] Okay, sit back. 201 00:10:22,997 --> 00:10:25,790 Don't let her pull the bit down. Drive her uphill. 202 00:10:25,791 --> 00:10:28,877 Wonderful change. Do another one. 203 00:10:28,878 --> 00:10:33,298 There is a definite trust level that has to exist 204 00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:36,259 between your trainer and your horse. 205 00:10:36,260 --> 00:10:38,011 And Michael and I did have that. 206 00:10:38,012 --> 00:10:40,765 [Michael] Close your leg and lean back. Push his nose up. 207 00:10:41,265 --> 00:10:43,475 Wow. Hallelujah! 208 00:10:43,476 --> 00:10:46,436 - [Lauren] Hallelujah! - [Michael] Look at Lauren smokin' around! 209 00:10:46,437 --> 00:10:50,023 I could see him fixing problems quickly. 210 00:10:50,024 --> 00:10:52,567 [Michael] Good. Hands together. Keep your contact. 211 00:10:52,568 --> 00:10:55,446 Good. Keep riding forward into the... 212 00:10:55,946 --> 00:10:59,491 He really was doing what he promised he would do. 213 00:10:59,492 --> 00:11:01,702 He was making me a better rider. 214 00:11:03,496 --> 00:11:07,749 But I soon learned that pretty much everybody there 215 00:11:07,750 --> 00:11:10,752 was, like, almost cult-like, 216 00:11:10,753 --> 00:11:13,129 obsessed with this thing of, 217 00:11:13,130 --> 00:11:15,715 "This guy's gonna get me into the Olympics." 218 00:11:15,716 --> 00:11:19,386 He said, "The Olympics isn't a goal. The Olympics is like a dream." 219 00:11:19,387 --> 00:11:23,264 He's like, "And every one of these people here, it is their dream." 220 00:11:23,265 --> 00:11:26,017 And I was like, "Yay for them." 221 00:11:26,018 --> 00:11:28,979 "They have a dream. I have a dream. We all have a dream." 222 00:11:29,563 --> 00:11:32,357 [Michael] This is a picture of, like, authority. 223 00:11:32,358 --> 00:11:34,609 Like, I look at you and you're back in your seat 224 00:11:34,610 --> 00:11:37,696 and your conduct says to me you're in control. 225 00:11:37,697 --> 00:11:39,614 That is authority. 226 00:11:39,615 --> 00:11:43,493 In dressage, three things are necessary for a winning combination. 227 00:11:43,494 --> 00:11:46,579 You need a good trainer, a good rider, 228 00:11:46,580 --> 00:11:47,998 and a good horse. 229 00:11:48,666 --> 00:11:51,543 And on top of all the rest of this stuff, 230 00:11:51,544 --> 00:11:53,045 it takes a lot of money. 231 00:11:54,922 --> 00:11:57,341 There's a reason it's called the sport of kings. 232 00:11:57,842 --> 00:12:00,969 Going to Europe to compete is necessary for anybody 233 00:12:00,970 --> 00:12:02,554 in the international horse sport. 234 00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:06,307 Round-trip transport is 25,000 dollars for one show, 235 00:12:06,308 --> 00:12:10,395 and that doesn't include your groom and your stuff and the show fees. 236 00:12:10,396 --> 00:12:13,314 Then you get back here, and if you have your own horse trailer, 237 00:12:13,315 --> 00:12:15,942 that's 125 grand for a decent rig. 238 00:12:15,943 --> 00:12:18,820 And horseshoes, the horse needs every four weeks 239 00:12:18,821 --> 00:12:20,906 for 500 or 700 dollars. 240 00:12:21,407 --> 00:12:22,907 We say things like, 241 00:12:22,908 --> 00:12:25,660 "Oh, it's a cheap horse." "How much?" "50,000." 242 00:12:25,661 --> 00:12:27,370 It's staggering, the cost. 243 00:12:27,371 --> 00:12:29,498 [auctioneers chattering] 244 00:12:29,999 --> 00:12:34,962 [Michael] Jay-T is a horse that I purchased in 2006. 245 00:12:36,088 --> 00:12:38,883 And he was this incredible athlete. 246 00:12:39,925 --> 00:12:41,844 He was a horse my ex-wife and I owned. 247 00:12:42,636 --> 00:12:44,971 And we made an agreement. 248 00:12:44,972 --> 00:12:48,642 I would personally ride the horse and compete the horse, 249 00:12:49,310 --> 00:12:50,770 and I would sell the horse. 250 00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:53,272 [Lauren] JJ! 251 00:12:55,775 --> 00:12:57,109 Hello, my good boy. 252 00:12:57,693 --> 00:13:02,238 It's very common for us as horse trainers 253 00:13:02,239 --> 00:13:06,618 to let a lesser-skilled rider sit on a more-skilled horse 254 00:13:06,619 --> 00:13:08,745 periodically from time to time. 255 00:13:08,746 --> 00:13:11,039 You put 'em on the horse, let 'em feel something, 256 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,209 let 'em feel a little bit of what the future's supposed to feel like 257 00:13:14,210 --> 00:13:15,544 and where they're headed. 258 00:13:16,045 --> 00:13:18,171 Justin Hardin did that with Jay-T. 259 00:13:18,172 --> 00:13:20,341 He put her on the horse and let her ride it. 260 00:13:21,008 --> 00:13:24,969 [Lauren] Justin said, "We have this horse, and we think you're gonna like him." 261 00:13:24,970 --> 00:13:26,471 "I just want you to try him." 262 00:13:26,472 --> 00:13:29,349 "We don't let everybody ride this horse because, to be honest, 263 00:13:29,350 --> 00:13:31,811 he can be a little bit difficult." 264 00:13:32,645 --> 00:13:34,354 And the first minute I got on, 265 00:13:34,355 --> 00:13:36,981 they were like, "Just be careful. It'll be fine." 266 00:13:36,982 --> 00:13:39,400 I get on him. He feels amazing. 267 00:13:39,401 --> 00:13:42,946 You could feel, like, a ball of, like, energy 268 00:13:42,947 --> 00:13:45,241 underneath your body rise. 269 00:13:46,033 --> 00:13:49,161 And I was like, "Yeah, this horse is gonna be mine one day." 270 00:13:49,954 --> 00:13:51,038 My good boy. 271 00:13:52,164 --> 00:13:53,665 [Michael] Compared to her horses, 272 00:13:53,666 --> 00:13:57,294 her horses were Toyota Corollas. 273 00:13:58,879 --> 00:14:00,589 Jay-T was a Corvette. 274 00:14:01,715 --> 00:14:05,552 We let her drive a Corvette once. 275 00:14:05,553 --> 00:14:09,181 And unfortunately, that sent the snowball down the mountain. 276 00:14:10,641 --> 00:14:13,352 [Michael] Sharp turn and straight across the ring! 277 00:14:14,311 --> 00:14:15,937 Two days after riding the horse, 278 00:14:15,938 --> 00:14:20,442 Lauren posting things online, videos of her riding my horse. 279 00:14:21,026 --> 00:14:22,945 [Lauren] JJ! Jay-T! 280 00:14:23,445 --> 00:14:25,446 Rob, you look so tiny next to him. 281 00:14:25,447 --> 00:14:28,659 [Michael] And then, in July of 2018, 282 00:14:29,285 --> 00:14:32,161 Lauren Kanarek enters shows on my horse. 283 00:14:32,162 --> 00:14:35,707 She went and rented the Corvette convertible from Hertz 284 00:14:35,708 --> 00:14:38,377 and then decided it was hers to drive for the rest of her life. 285 00:14:39,336 --> 00:14:43,756 She, in effect, had commandeered my horse for her own purposes, 286 00:14:43,757 --> 00:14:46,427 and it was disastrous. 287 00:14:50,639 --> 00:14:54,018 She's devaluing him, and it just can't go on. 288 00:14:55,811 --> 00:14:58,564 And I told them, "You can't show this horse." 289 00:14:59,064 --> 00:15:02,692 And they came after me in the stable, 290 00:15:02,693 --> 00:15:05,445 screaming at me and all these things. 291 00:15:05,446 --> 00:15:06,822 I was terrified of them. 292 00:15:07,323 --> 00:15:10,326 I'm a chicken. You know? I've never been in a fight. 293 00:15:10,826 --> 00:15:13,036 And at the same time they're threatening me, 294 00:15:13,037 --> 00:15:15,038 the father's sending me all these texts. 295 00:15:15,039 --> 00:15:17,624 "I'm gonna bankrupt you and keep you in court." 296 00:15:17,625 --> 00:15:19,083 "I'll break you." All this. 297 00:15:19,084 --> 00:15:21,669 I'm like, I'm seeing another lawyer bill, 298 00:15:21,670 --> 00:15:24,923 and I've got a divorce and lawyer bills there. 299 00:15:24,924 --> 00:15:28,886 I'm in a panic mode to not get beat up, to not get sued. 300 00:15:29,386 --> 00:15:30,387 So I capitulate. 301 00:15:30,888 --> 00:15:33,641 I got threatened, pushed, 302 00:15:34,141 --> 00:15:37,977 essentially extorted into selling my horse for 50 cents on the dollar. 303 00:15:37,978 --> 00:15:39,646 Getting bullied into buying a horse 304 00:15:39,647 --> 00:15:43,149 is the biggest piece of bullshit I ever heard in my entire life. 305 00:15:43,150 --> 00:15:44,944 Okay? Period. 306 00:15:46,111 --> 00:15:50,198 I was on the way to a show that Michael had been training me for, 307 00:15:50,199 --> 00:15:54,619 and Rob's telling me that Jay-T had just been pulled off the trailer. 308 00:15:54,620 --> 00:15:56,496 And Michael's saying he can't go. 309 00:15:56,497 --> 00:15:59,916 So I immediately run to the office. 310 00:15:59,917 --> 00:16:02,460 I'm asking Michael, "What's going on with Jay-T?" 311 00:16:02,461 --> 00:16:04,379 "Why is he not in that trailer?" 312 00:16:04,380 --> 00:16:06,339 He is panicking, freaking out. 313 00:16:06,340 --> 00:16:08,174 I've never seen him like this. 314 00:16:08,175 --> 00:16:11,469 He's just saying to me, "Jay-T can't go to this show." 315 00:16:11,470 --> 00:16:14,055 He had to sell this horse as soon as possible. 316 00:16:14,056 --> 00:16:16,557 I'm like, "Why? What is going on?" 317 00:16:16,558 --> 00:16:18,394 And he goes, "It's the divorce." 318 00:16:19,269 --> 00:16:21,188 I'm like, "Why don't I just buy him?" 319 00:16:21,772 --> 00:16:23,272 "Will that help something?" 320 00:16:23,273 --> 00:16:25,442 And all of a sudden, he calmed down. 321 00:16:25,943 --> 00:16:28,319 He was very happy to accept his check. 322 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:29,488 The horse was mine. 323 00:16:30,322 --> 00:16:31,532 It's all settled. 324 00:16:32,324 --> 00:16:33,951 Or that's what I thought. 325 00:16:34,618 --> 00:16:35,536 Oh, hey. 326 00:16:38,789 --> 00:16:39,957 Good boy, Jay. 327 00:16:41,041 --> 00:16:42,959 - Walk him up. Is the girth on? - Yep. 328 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:44,168 - Tight enough? - Yep. 329 00:16:44,169 --> 00:16:47,213 - Stop, stop, stop. Oh my God, Rob. - What? 330 00:16:47,214 --> 00:16:49,674 - Please stop. Look what's happened here. - Hold on. 331 00:16:49,675 --> 00:16:51,300 - Stop. Easy! - Let me pull you-- 332 00:16:51,301 --> 00:16:54,805 [Lauren] Let go of him. What did I say? Let go of the reins. Stop. Easy, boy. 333 00:16:57,850 --> 00:16:59,267 - Rob? - Yeah? 334 00:16:59,268 --> 00:17:01,310 - I need a whip. - Uh, check that table. 335 00:17:01,311 --> 00:17:04,064 I can't check anything. I need a whip immediately. 336 00:17:05,399 --> 00:17:07,984 Whoa, easy! Whoa, he's spooking bad. 337 00:17:07,985 --> 00:17:10,696 - [Rob] Just focus and do it again. - Oh, this sucks. 338 00:17:12,489 --> 00:17:16,326 [Michael] We haven't really addressed her level as a rider. 339 00:17:16,827 --> 00:17:17,953 I compare it to baseball. 340 00:17:19,663 --> 00:17:22,833 I have played on a World Series team. 341 00:17:23,876 --> 00:17:27,336 {\an8}Mary Haskins Gray and Justin Hardin were players 342 00:17:27,337 --> 00:17:30,631 on a triple-A minor league baseball team, 343 00:17:30,632 --> 00:17:36,304 just about ready to make the jump into the major leagues as rookies. 344 00:17:36,305 --> 00:17:37,305 Follow me? 345 00:17:37,306 --> 00:17:40,016 Lauren Kanarek is... 346 00:17:40,017 --> 00:17:41,809 [tense music playing] 347 00:17:41,810 --> 00:17:43,436 [music builds, stops] 348 00:17:43,437 --> 00:17:46,147 ...Little League for nine-year-olds. 349 00:17:46,148 --> 00:17:49,401 Flying change. That was late. I'll do it again. 350 00:17:50,277 --> 00:17:51,819 Rob, right now. Do you understand? 351 00:17:51,820 --> 00:17:54,280 - [Rob] What? Slow down. - It's 6:30. Easy, boy. 352 00:17:54,281 --> 00:17:56,616 Rob, are you listening to me? 353 00:17:56,617 --> 00:17:57,700 - Rob? - Yes, go. 354 00:17:57,701 --> 00:17:59,994 - Are you listening to me? - I'm in a conversation. 355 00:17:59,995 --> 00:18:02,538 So rude. I'm asking you. You know what? Never mind. 356 00:18:02,539 --> 00:18:04,083 You don't get a choice now. 357 00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:07,795 [Michael] I teach Olympians, not second-level riders. 358 00:18:08,837 --> 00:18:12,298 Over that period of time, there were times that Mary Haskins taught Lauren. 359 00:18:12,299 --> 00:18:16,094 Mary Haskins, in my mind, was the biggest fool, 360 00:18:16,095 --> 00:18:18,805 most unknowledgeable person about riding. 361 00:18:18,806 --> 00:18:22,517 [Jonathan] At some point in time, I started receiving texts from Lauren 362 00:18:22,518 --> 00:18:25,353 that the staff wasn't doing their job properly, 363 00:18:25,354 --> 00:18:27,939 and they'd be encouraged not to do their job properly 364 00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:30,192 by Michael's girlfriend, Mary Haskins. 365 00:18:32,277 --> 00:18:35,613 In April, I went to have a meeting with Rob and Lauren 366 00:18:35,614 --> 00:18:37,949 and Michael's girlfriend, Mary Haskins. 367 00:18:37,950 --> 00:18:40,785 Lauren starts screaming about what everyone's not doing for her, 368 00:18:40,786 --> 00:18:44,747 and Mary Haskins is saying to her, "You don't even show up and ride, 369 00:18:44,748 --> 00:18:46,916 so don't talk about what people aren't doing for you." 370 00:18:46,917 --> 00:18:47,959 "You have to work." 371 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:50,294 That starts a screaming match between these girls. 372 00:18:50,295 --> 00:18:52,797 Jonathan and Goodwin are trying to get control of her, 373 00:18:52,798 --> 00:18:55,091 and I'm trying to get control of Mary Haskins. 374 00:18:55,092 --> 00:18:58,219 And at that meeting, Mary Haskins, you know, said the words, 375 00:18:58,220 --> 00:18:59,595 "Y'all have to leave." 376 00:18:59,596 --> 00:19:03,099 Michael said to Mary Haskins, "Shut the fuck up, Mary Haskins." 377 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:04,517 "I have a deal with these people." 378 00:19:04,518 --> 00:19:08,771 "Shut the fuck up." I've never said that to a woman in my life. 379 00:19:08,772 --> 00:19:13,401 {\an8}He was allowing his girlfriend to get away with this, 380 00:19:13,402 --> 00:19:16,988 {\an8}instead of simply saying to his girlfriend, "Listen, cut the crap." 381 00:19:16,989 --> 00:19:21,200 Michael, throughout the whole thing, was trying to burn the candle at both ends 382 00:19:21,201 --> 00:19:24,329 until, eventually, the candle burned to the middle. 383 00:19:26,039 --> 00:19:29,333 Rose, to your left, is your back right hind puffy? 384 00:19:29,334 --> 00:19:31,837 Blink once for yes, two for no. 385 00:19:32,337 --> 00:19:34,547 [horse snorts softly] 386 00:19:34,548 --> 00:19:36,175 All right, we go back now. 387 00:19:39,469 --> 00:19:42,973 I met Michael in 2018. 388 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,477 My daughter signed up for a horsemastership clinic with him. 389 00:19:52,024 --> 00:19:53,941 Horse people are quirky. 390 00:19:53,942 --> 00:19:57,320 And it's not unusual to have difficult clients. 391 00:19:57,321 --> 00:19:58,696 [Rob] Yeah, it sticks to it. 392 00:19:58,697 --> 00:20:03,284 You know, we tend to kind of ignore it 393 00:20:03,285 --> 00:20:05,787 because it's just the nature of the business. 394 00:20:07,831 --> 00:20:11,959 First time I met Lauren was at a show at the New Jersey Horse Park. 395 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:14,253 [Lauren] Good girl. Yes, you're a good girl. 396 00:20:14,254 --> 00:20:16,048 [Lara] As soon as I met her, 397 00:20:16,924 --> 00:20:18,800 I knew something wasn't right with her. 398 00:20:20,219 --> 00:20:22,512 Rob, what the hell happened to this bag? 399 00:20:23,138 --> 00:20:26,599 Rob, I think we have not used this bitless bridle. 400 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:27,851 Rob? 401 00:20:28,435 --> 00:20:29,852 Rob, can you hear me? 402 00:20:29,853 --> 00:20:33,982 [Lara] Her energy was so frantic, manic, 403 00:20:34,608 --> 00:20:38,486 that I actually got a migraine, and I had to walk away from her. 404 00:20:38,487 --> 00:20:44,200 It was so disruptive and so... just nerve-wracking. 405 00:20:44,201 --> 00:20:45,369 It was horrible. 406 00:20:47,663 --> 00:20:49,706 {\an8}[keyboard clacking] 407 00:20:55,003 --> 00:20:57,005 [sparse, intriguing music playing] 408 00:21:07,432 --> 00:21:10,142 [Lara] At Hawthorne Hill, there was a lot of tension 409 00:21:10,143 --> 00:21:12,895 between Lauren and Mary Haskins. 410 00:21:12,896 --> 00:21:17,733 Lauren would snap demands and insist on certain things. 411 00:21:17,734 --> 00:21:20,279 It just was... turmoil. 412 00:21:20,779 --> 00:21:22,781 [music quickens] 413 00:21:25,993 --> 00:21:27,785 [Lara] She had friended me on Facebook, 414 00:21:27,786 --> 00:21:32,207 so I was seeing her posts as they were coming up. 415 00:21:41,383 --> 00:21:44,385 You can't turn away every client that's difficult, 416 00:21:44,386 --> 00:21:47,180 but when things start to cross the line 417 00:21:48,056 --> 00:21:50,517 from being difficult to being dangerous... 418 00:21:51,977 --> 00:21:54,603 Many of them use chess images. 419 00:21:54,604 --> 00:21:56,939 "The king has been captured and killed." 420 00:21:56,940 --> 00:22:00,568 "The queen must be sacrificed to protect the castle." 421 00:22:00,569 --> 00:22:02,988 "The castle comes crumbling down." 422 00:22:04,156 --> 00:22:08,076 Who has the time or the energy to put things out like this? 423 00:22:10,329 --> 00:22:11,829 [Lara] In the dressage community, 424 00:22:11,830 --> 00:22:16,250 people were seeing what was being said and were horrified by it. 425 00:22:16,251 --> 00:22:18,127 With the things I was writing, 426 00:22:18,128 --> 00:22:21,005 it was for him to realize the problem here 427 00:22:21,006 --> 00:22:23,257 is you were being led around by your girlfriend. 428 00:22:23,258 --> 00:22:26,218 She was making me riding at the barn impossible. 429 00:22:26,219 --> 00:22:28,804 I'm the guy with his name on the top of the letterhead. 430 00:22:28,805 --> 00:22:31,807 I have sweet ladies who ride with me 431 00:22:31,808 --> 00:22:34,643 and... and older people and kids. 432 00:22:34,644 --> 00:22:37,313 Lara's daughter was a 16-year-old girl living with me. 433 00:22:37,314 --> 00:22:39,315 I was responsible for her. 434 00:22:39,316 --> 00:22:43,194 I was extremely worried about the situation at Hawthorne Hill. 435 00:22:43,195 --> 00:22:45,280 [intriguing music continues] 436 00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:54,373 [music fades] 437 00:22:55,123 --> 00:22:58,125 There was a hostility between the two women. 438 00:22:58,126 --> 00:23:00,836 It may not be easy between having an important client 439 00:23:00,837 --> 00:23:02,797 and your... and your girlfriend, 440 00:23:02,798 --> 00:23:06,634 but Michael had to do it or come up with some kind of solution. 441 00:23:06,635 --> 00:23:08,720 [uneasy music playing] 442 00:23:09,721 --> 00:23:11,014 [Michael] This will not work. 443 00:23:11,515 --> 00:23:15,684 You cannot be going on the Internet and saying bad things about us. 444 00:23:15,685 --> 00:23:20,731 He came down to literally scream at me. 445 00:23:20,732 --> 00:23:22,483 Who do you think you are? 446 00:23:22,484 --> 00:23:26,112 I will be a nobody in this sport. He'll make one phone call. 447 00:23:26,113 --> 00:23:28,448 My career will be ended. 448 00:23:29,783 --> 00:23:35,163 He was there to lay down the law of who is in charge of the sport. 449 00:23:36,415 --> 00:23:38,291 Now, who's in charge of his barn? 450 00:23:39,126 --> 00:23:42,795 Who runs things? Who are the powerful people? 451 00:23:42,796 --> 00:23:44,840 And what can they do? 452 00:23:45,966 --> 00:23:47,592 [Michael] In the horse world, 453 00:23:48,427 --> 00:23:53,014 reputation is critical to your success. 454 00:23:54,558 --> 00:23:58,145 Reputation is earned. It's not just given. 455 00:24:00,021 --> 00:24:03,150 Your whole life revolves around this one thing. 456 00:24:05,277 --> 00:24:08,989 If he says, "I will ruin your career with one phone call," 457 00:24:09,781 --> 00:24:11,532 that's not something you take lightly. 458 00:24:11,533 --> 00:24:12,533 [camera shutter clicks] 459 00:24:12,534 --> 00:24:17,121 Because Michael's friends do have the power to blackball, 460 00:24:17,122 --> 00:24:18,915 get me banned from the sport. 461 00:24:19,416 --> 00:24:23,377 My life, my livelihood, and my riding career 462 00:24:23,378 --> 00:24:25,130 has been put in jeopardy. 463 00:24:26,173 --> 00:24:27,799 You're thinking, "Just kill me, then." 464 00:24:28,300 --> 00:24:30,801 Maybe you're not really thinking, "I wanna be dead," 465 00:24:30,802 --> 00:24:33,972 but you're thinking, "Get it over with now, and just kill me." 466 00:24:34,556 --> 00:24:36,266 [keyboard clacking] 467 00:24:37,642 --> 00:24:42,563 [Michael] Lauren Kanarek got very weird and very unstable. 468 00:24:42,564 --> 00:24:45,609 At 2:45, three o'clock in the morning, 469 00:24:46,276 --> 00:24:51,155 is up in the trees behind the stable 470 00:24:51,156 --> 00:24:53,741 putting out cryptic social media posts. 471 00:24:53,742 --> 00:24:55,659 Lauren did not go on the offensive. 472 00:24:55,660 --> 00:24:57,161 Lauren went on the defensive 473 00:24:57,162 --> 00:24:59,497 with Facebook posts, "Here's what's happening." 474 00:24:59,498 --> 00:25:01,874 Michael has all these friends in high places, 475 00:25:01,875 --> 00:25:03,542 all these former Olympiads, 476 00:25:03,543 --> 00:25:06,879 and Lauren only has, you know, Facebook to say what's happening. 477 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,631 She's putting out public messages. 478 00:25:08,632 --> 00:25:10,717 [phone ringing] 479 00:25:12,344 --> 00:25:14,553 [operator] 911. What's the address? 480 00:25:14,554 --> 00:25:17,431 I did what I'm supposed to do. 481 00:25:17,432 --> 00:25:19,892 What we've been taught since we were children, right? 482 00:25:19,893 --> 00:25:20,936 Call the authorities. 483 00:25:21,645 --> 00:25:25,898 I need an officer here to get these people to get their shit together 484 00:25:25,899 --> 00:25:27,733 and not menace us. 485 00:25:27,734 --> 00:25:29,610 We are decent people. 486 00:25:29,611 --> 00:25:31,820 - [operator] Okay. - This is turning out terribly. 487 00:25:31,821 --> 00:25:33,656 These are menaces to society. 488 00:25:33,657 --> 00:25:36,910 If I need to get a restraining order tonight, I will get it. 489 00:25:37,410 --> 00:25:39,912 This is a war, and it's gonna be dealt with right now. 490 00:25:39,913 --> 00:25:42,666 I've had enough of these people. I need them gone. 491 00:25:43,959 --> 00:25:45,627 [Lauren] This is a civil dispute. 492 00:25:46,127 --> 00:25:50,756 He's using the police as a weapon for something they can't even do. 493 00:25:50,757 --> 00:25:53,008 They even said to him, "Stop calling us." 494 00:25:53,009 --> 00:25:55,678 "We are not your remedy for a civil dispute." 495 00:25:55,679 --> 00:25:58,514 Lauren was in the barn and heard whisperings 496 00:25:58,515 --> 00:26:02,476 of getting someone to beat them up or something of the like 497 00:26:02,477 --> 00:26:03,561 and was concerned. 498 00:26:03,562 --> 00:26:05,145 I spoke with Lauren and said, 499 00:26:05,146 --> 00:26:07,774 "I think we should get some kind of audio device." 500 00:26:08,692 --> 00:26:12,653 [Michael] Mary Haskins. Here's the deal, the cop wants to pass the buck. 501 00:26:12,654 --> 00:26:15,406 He says it's a civil matter. It's a civil matter. 502 00:26:15,407 --> 00:26:18,909 [Mary] That's why I keep saying that's why you need to keep calling 503 00:26:18,910 --> 00:26:23,163 because you need to push the burden onto the police department. 504 00:26:23,164 --> 00:26:25,917 - She's playing old school. - [Michael] She needs a lesson. 505 00:26:29,212 --> 00:26:32,548 [Lauren] We did this thinking a crime was going to be committed. 506 00:26:32,549 --> 00:26:34,383 And if there is, 507 00:26:34,384 --> 00:26:35,968 we'd like to have evidence 508 00:26:35,969 --> 00:26:38,555 that they were planning to commit that crime. 509 00:26:40,473 --> 00:26:42,224 [Michael] I'm gonna... I'm dealing with this. 510 00:26:42,225 --> 00:26:44,393 [Mary] She needs to get banned from this county. 511 00:26:44,394 --> 00:26:47,187 [Michael] Nobody can give a lifetime ban in horse sports 512 00:26:47,188 --> 00:26:48,564 except SafeSport. That's it. 513 00:26:48,565 --> 00:26:50,649 - Yeah. - And they give the... 514 00:26:50,650 --> 00:26:52,569 [brooding music playing] 515 00:27:03,913 --> 00:27:07,291 [Lauren] You can't call the police and say, "Hi, I have a report to make." 516 00:27:07,292 --> 00:27:10,502 "People are threatening to get me kicked out of the sport I love." 517 00:27:10,503 --> 00:27:13,339 "Please arrest them." That's not what they're there for. 518 00:27:13,340 --> 00:27:16,383 SafeSport's job is to make sure 519 00:27:16,384 --> 00:27:22,807 that people who have those kinds of powers are never allowed to do such things. 520 00:27:24,017 --> 00:27:26,394 There is a big problem in equestrian sports. 521 00:27:27,354 --> 00:27:30,690 Many trainers have been banned for life by SafeSport. 522 00:27:31,691 --> 00:27:35,195 Michael's biggest fear was being unable to compete in the sport. 523 00:27:36,946 --> 00:27:40,909 I called the hotline, and I reported him to SafeSport. 524 00:27:41,910 --> 00:27:46,247 The report was about bullying, harassment, and abuse of power. 525 00:27:47,749 --> 00:27:51,835 But at the time, the interviewer, she kept asking me, 526 00:27:51,836 --> 00:27:53,796 "Are there minors in the property?" 527 00:27:53,797 --> 00:27:55,924 "Where are they living? What are they doing?" 528 00:27:57,592 --> 00:28:01,513 [Michael] I hear the truck. It comes up, and it pulls right in front of the stable. 529 00:28:02,013 --> 00:28:05,392 And Lauren Kanarek is on her phone, and she's pacing. 530 00:28:06,976 --> 00:28:09,603 "I'm going to do everything in my power 531 00:28:09,604 --> 00:28:14,109 to destroy everything Mary Haskins loves or is important to her!" 532 00:28:15,694 --> 00:28:18,279 Mary Haskins, she had two young children, 533 00:28:18,780 --> 00:28:21,073 and I treated them like my own kids. 534 00:28:21,074 --> 00:28:24,369 She said, "I don't feel good about my children here with these people." 535 00:28:26,579 --> 00:28:30,124 - [Michael] If anything happens, I will... - [Mary] You know what? You-- 536 00:28:30,125 --> 00:28:31,792 [Michael] You're already talking-- 537 00:28:31,793 --> 00:28:34,921 You've already talked the last few days about leaving. 538 00:28:35,922 --> 00:28:37,674 [Mary] I'm not leaving you, Michael. 539 00:28:38,174 --> 00:28:39,341 I'm not leaving you. 540 00:28:39,342 --> 00:28:41,885 [Michael] We would have these conversations. 541 00:28:41,886 --> 00:28:45,640 Then we would get taunting messages like they know what I'm saying. 542 00:28:47,892 --> 00:28:49,185 Lauren said to me, 543 00:28:50,270 --> 00:28:55,024 "Now you know the lovely lady's not going to leave you." 544 00:28:55,900 --> 00:28:59,404 I told Mary, "I'm pretty sure we're being bugged." 545 00:29:00,905 --> 00:29:01,990 "And I don't know how." 546 00:29:03,491 --> 00:29:05,075 "How are they hearing us?" 547 00:29:05,076 --> 00:29:08,412 "Has somebody infected a phone? Justin's phone? Don't talk on your phone." 548 00:29:08,413 --> 00:29:10,372 "Are they trying to learn my movements?" 549 00:29:10,373 --> 00:29:12,000 Why do you need to do this? 550 00:29:13,668 --> 00:29:17,964 You start to think the walls have ears and the darkness has eyes. 551 00:29:19,924 --> 00:29:21,176 I found this post, 552 00:29:21,926 --> 00:29:23,761 and I realized, at that time, 553 00:29:23,762 --> 00:29:27,306 Lauren Kanarek will give you the road map to what she's doing. 554 00:29:27,307 --> 00:29:31,477 She has to tell someone what she's done bad 555 00:29:31,478 --> 00:29:33,646 or what she's going to do bad. 556 00:29:34,439 --> 00:29:35,814 And she says... 557 00:29:35,815 --> 00:29:39,735 You read all these memes about being happy and everything's a beautiful day. 558 00:29:39,736 --> 00:29:41,529 And then she says, 559 00:29:42,030 --> 00:29:45,365 "But contrary to what Mr. Rogers says, 560 00:29:45,366 --> 00:29:49,328 it's not always a beautiful day in the neighborhood." 561 00:29:49,329 --> 00:29:52,290 "Sometimes the neighbors are dark, 562 00:29:53,458 --> 00:29:57,337 and they are using secret recording devices, 563 00:29:57,879 --> 00:30:02,175 which one day they will use to destroy your life." 564 00:30:05,845 --> 00:30:07,095 [phone ringing] 565 00:30:07,096 --> 00:30:10,224 [Michael] There were texts to me last night where... 566 00:30:10,225 --> 00:30:12,684 Apparently, they've been bugging my conversations 567 00:30:12,685 --> 00:30:15,813 in my other building where we're all sitting and holing up, 568 00:30:15,814 --> 00:30:17,147 like we're hostages. 569 00:30:17,148 --> 00:30:19,149 The police were called again. 570 00:30:19,150 --> 00:30:20,984 [tense music playing] 571 00:30:20,985 --> 00:30:24,197 [Michael] This is not looking good. We're under siege here. 572 00:30:24,697 --> 00:30:28,700 We're stalking them. We're harassing them. Have you met us? 573 00:30:28,701 --> 00:30:31,078 [Michael] If they come up, I don't know what to do. 574 00:30:31,079 --> 00:30:33,498 - [operator] Were weapons involved? - No. 575 00:30:35,875 --> 00:30:38,836 [Lauren] Police have been called for some kind of harassment, 576 00:30:38,837 --> 00:30:40,712 {\an8}which I wasn't even in the barn for, 577 00:30:40,713 --> 00:30:42,881 {\an8}but I decided that this needed to be recorded, 578 00:30:42,882 --> 00:30:44,467 {\an8}which I am now recording. 579 00:30:45,176 --> 00:30:47,262 {\an8}[Michael] Stay right here. Don't you walk away. 580 00:30:47,762 --> 00:30:51,140 {\an8}- [operator] Don't engage them, okay? - [Michael] I'm talking to my friend. 581 00:30:51,641 --> 00:30:55,310 {\an8}Ruth Cox was a client friend. 582 00:30:55,311 --> 00:30:58,565 {\an8}She was Mary Haskins' partner on a couple of horses and... 583 00:31:00,483 --> 00:31:03,902 So Ruth Cox is on her way from North Carolina 584 00:31:03,903 --> 00:31:05,697 the night of August 2nd. 585 00:31:07,156 --> 00:31:10,826 I said to Ruth, "Did you bring that gun?" 586 00:31:10,827 --> 00:31:14,913 Because I know she travels with a 9mm pistol. 587 00:31:14,914 --> 00:31:16,582 She said, "Why, yes." 588 00:31:16,583 --> 00:31:19,793 I said, "Get it. It has to go in the safe. It's not safe out there." 589 00:31:19,794 --> 00:31:22,297 "The cop told me, 'Don't leave anything in the cars.'" 590 00:31:24,048 --> 00:31:25,174 She brought it in, 591 00:31:26,467 --> 00:31:29,387 went right into my office, and we put it in the safe. 592 00:31:31,389 --> 00:31:34,516 This thing is escalating, and it's spiraling out of control, 593 00:31:34,517 --> 00:31:38,103 and I keep calling the federation, calling the police, and calling lawyers, 594 00:31:38,104 --> 00:31:40,648 and just saying, "Just get this under control." 595 00:31:42,275 --> 00:31:44,276 It was so far out of control. 596 00:31:44,277 --> 00:31:46,904 The night of August 2nd, early morning of August 3rd, 597 00:31:46,905 --> 00:31:50,157 she's out in the trees, circling the stable in the night, 598 00:31:50,158 --> 00:31:51,825 we now know, dressed like a ninja. 599 00:31:51,826 --> 00:31:54,244 I'm in just full-blown panic mode 600 00:31:54,245 --> 00:31:56,413 about what in the world is gonna happen there? 601 00:31:56,414 --> 00:31:58,999 Are they gonna kill somebody or burn this barn down? 602 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,334 What is gonna happen? 603 00:32:00,335 --> 00:32:02,294 They're nuts. They're stalking us. 604 00:32:02,295 --> 00:32:04,254 They've... They're harassing us. 605 00:32:04,255 --> 00:32:06,965 - Last night, there was a Facebook post. - [operator] Hold on. 606 00:32:06,966 --> 00:32:09,968 It's a harassing Facebook post that's going on right now, correct? 607 00:32:09,969 --> 00:32:13,513 [Michael] It was last night. "Everyone should be worried." 608 00:32:13,514 --> 00:32:16,767 "I'm not responsible for anything my other personalities do 609 00:32:16,768 --> 00:32:18,018 when they're threatened." 610 00:32:18,019 --> 00:32:19,353 That's insane. 611 00:32:19,354 --> 00:32:20,771 I have a family. 612 00:32:20,772 --> 00:32:23,483 I'm trying to do everything right. 613 00:32:24,651 --> 00:32:25,485 Everything. 614 00:32:26,235 --> 00:32:27,653 I'm crying for help. 615 00:32:27,654 --> 00:32:29,656 We are in fear for our lives. 616 00:32:30,281 --> 00:32:31,782 Get over here and fix this. 617 00:32:31,783 --> 00:32:34,034 That's what a responsible citizen does. 618 00:32:34,035 --> 00:32:36,663 And they told me to go to hell. 619 00:32:37,372 --> 00:32:40,375 This is the third time. And I'm getting no relief. 620 00:32:41,417 --> 00:32:45,587 I'm living my life in my community, the one I created. 621 00:32:45,588 --> 00:32:47,882 [tense music continues] 622 00:32:49,133 --> 00:32:52,052 People came, people went. We made friends, had Christmas parties, 623 00:32:52,053 --> 00:32:53,261 Thanksgiving parties. 624 00:32:53,262 --> 00:32:57,349 I could put wood fire in the wood stove and watch the Labrador sleep in front. 625 00:32:57,350 --> 00:32:59,643 I could go out and cut my firewood logs myself. 626 00:32:59,644 --> 00:33:00,895 It was idyllic. 627 00:33:01,396 --> 00:33:03,522 And then these vagrants come in. 628 00:33:03,523 --> 00:33:06,108 And I've called them terrorists. That's exactly what it was. 629 00:33:06,109 --> 00:33:07,777 They did a mini 9/11 to me. 630 00:33:10,697 --> 00:33:12,115 I'm taking my life back. 631 00:33:12,824 --> 00:33:14,366 [music fades] 632 00:33:14,367 --> 00:33:16,452 [birds squawking] 633 00:33:17,203 --> 00:33:19,247 [quiet, ominous music playing] 634 00:33:20,665 --> 00:33:24,002 [Michael] I stood there in the courtyard and watched this gray van come up. 635 00:33:26,504 --> 00:33:29,047 It pulled right into the courtyard, right up next to me, 636 00:33:29,048 --> 00:33:30,925 and it was a dark-haired lady. 637 00:33:31,801 --> 00:33:32,968 And she said, 638 00:33:32,969 --> 00:33:35,763 "I'm from Child Protective Services." 639 00:33:38,516 --> 00:33:41,309 She wants to talk. We go in the office. I get two chairs. 640 00:33:41,310 --> 00:33:43,812 I go sit down in the chair. She and Mary Haskins sit down. 641 00:33:43,813 --> 00:33:46,899 "Mr. Barisone, we don't need you. I need to talk to Ms. Gray." 642 00:33:47,483 --> 00:33:49,527 And I'm standing in the club room. 643 00:33:50,611 --> 00:33:54,782 I could swear I stood there and I heard the word "sexual abuse." 644 00:33:55,658 --> 00:34:01,455 And I remember... my body going a thousand degrees. 645 00:34:01,456 --> 00:34:04,332 It was like a blowtorch went... [exhales sharply] ...on top of me. 646 00:34:04,333 --> 00:34:06,918 And every inch of my body was sweating and burning. 647 00:34:06,919 --> 00:34:10,172 It was like someone put a rope around my neck and pulled it tight. 648 00:34:10,173 --> 00:34:12,132 And I couldn't breathe. Like... [wheezes] 649 00:34:12,133 --> 00:34:15,052 And I remember picking up my phone. "Who am I gonna call?" 650 00:34:15,053 --> 00:34:18,055 "I'll call the police. No, they won't help. Nobody can help." 651 00:34:18,056 --> 00:34:20,891 I can remember spinning and the lights like this, 652 00:34:20,892 --> 00:34:23,101 and I just lost my balance, and bang. 653 00:34:23,102 --> 00:34:26,856 And I can remember being out of balance, and black, and then it's over. 654 00:34:27,356 --> 00:34:29,609 [thunder rumbling] 655 00:34:37,075 --> 00:34:40,244 [Lauren] I start to hear pebbles. 656 00:34:40,995 --> 00:34:42,955 Just, like, first it was faintly, 657 00:34:43,831 --> 00:34:45,833 and then it was, like, louder and louder. 658 00:34:46,334 --> 00:34:50,463 So I immediately run up the stairs and get Rob. 659 00:34:52,006 --> 00:34:53,341 Michael is here. 660 00:34:54,258 --> 00:34:55,926 I don't know why he's here. I... 661 00:34:55,927 --> 00:34:59,638 We haven't had any words or spoken in, like, a few days. 662 00:34:59,639 --> 00:35:01,264 [ominous music playing] 663 00:35:01,265 --> 00:35:04,768 Rob walks off the two little, like, steps of the porch. 664 00:35:04,769 --> 00:35:07,813 He's saying, "Michael, what do you want?" 665 00:35:07,814 --> 00:35:11,484 And he's like, "How do we end this? I don't want a war." 666 00:35:13,486 --> 00:35:15,113 So I'm walking over to him. 667 00:35:15,947 --> 00:35:20,325 And he... is just staring at me. 668 00:35:20,326 --> 00:35:21,952 [lightning crashing] 669 00:35:21,953 --> 00:35:23,955 [Lauren] There was something not right. 670 00:35:25,123 --> 00:35:28,500 And immediately, Michael pulls out a gun, 671 00:35:28,501 --> 00:35:30,878 shoots it at me, bang, bang. 672 00:35:31,671 --> 00:35:34,464 - [operator] 911. What's the address-- - [Lauren] I've been shot in the heart. 673 00:35:34,465 --> 00:35:38,051 - Okay-- - 411 Westmill Drive. 411 Westmill Drive. 674 00:35:38,052 --> 00:35:40,470 - Where are you? - I'm losing a lot of blood. 675 00:35:40,471 --> 00:35:42,306 Michael Barisone shot me. 676 00:35:43,391 --> 00:35:45,101 [Rob] Stop fucking moving! 677 00:35:45,643 --> 00:35:47,436 Stop fucking moving! 678 00:35:48,020 --> 00:35:49,521 - [Rob] Hello? - [operator] Sir? 679 00:35:49,522 --> 00:35:51,273 [Rob] Is an ambulance coming? 680 00:35:51,274 --> 00:35:54,025 [operator] Officers are being dispatched, okay? 681 00:35:54,026 --> 00:35:56,112 [muffled shouting] 682 00:35:56,654 --> 00:35:59,072 [siren wailing] 683 00:35:59,073 --> 00:36:00,783 [man] I was on a traffic detail. 684 00:36:01,576 --> 00:36:04,244 While on the detail, we received a dispatch of an active shooter 685 00:36:04,245 --> 00:36:05,788 at 411 Westmill Road. 686 00:36:06,831 --> 00:36:08,373 It was stressful, 687 00:36:08,374 --> 00:36:11,877 and dispatch didn't have much information to provide. 688 00:36:11,878 --> 00:36:15,088 As I started to go up the driveway, I opened the driver's side door, 689 00:36:15,089 --> 00:36:16,965 unholstered my handgun. 690 00:36:16,966 --> 00:36:18,633 [muffled shouting] 691 00:36:18,634 --> 00:36:21,553 [Rob] You fucking move, or I'm gonna fucking kill you! 692 00:36:21,554 --> 00:36:22,804 Do you understand me?! 693 00:36:22,805 --> 00:36:25,016 - [Lauren] I'm shot! - [Rob] You understand me?! 694 00:36:25,516 --> 00:36:29,186 I saw one male face down on the ground with another male on top of his back, 695 00:36:29,187 --> 00:36:30,145 also face down, 696 00:36:30,146 --> 00:36:32,397 {\an8}and a female a few feet to the left, 697 00:36:32,398 --> 00:36:34,025 {\an8}who appeared to have been shot. 698 00:36:34,525 --> 00:36:36,277 I yelled out, "Where's the shooter?" 699 00:36:36,861 --> 00:36:38,612 [Rob] He's the shooter right here! 700 00:36:38,613 --> 00:36:39,779 Right here! 701 00:36:39,780 --> 00:36:41,073 Gun is underneath him. 702 00:36:41,574 --> 00:36:44,618 I rolled Mr. Barisone over. His hand was open underneath him. 703 00:36:44,619 --> 00:36:48,371 {\an8}And there was a 9mm handgun with a slide lock back 704 00:36:48,372 --> 00:36:49,665 {\an8}right next to his hand. 705 00:36:50,166 --> 00:36:51,458 {\an8}I secured the weapon. 706 00:36:51,459 --> 00:36:54,377 I then turned my attention toward Miss Kanarek. 707 00:36:54,378 --> 00:36:56,379 [siren wailing] 708 00:36:56,380 --> 00:36:58,925 [Heymer] Chest seals! Get chest seals! 709 00:36:59,425 --> 00:37:00,760 Were you shot just once? 710 00:37:04,055 --> 00:37:07,098 She was very gray, not really speaking much. 711 00:37:07,099 --> 00:37:08,808 She said, "Help me," a few times. 712 00:37:08,809 --> 00:37:12,437 Based on her appearance, there was, uh, a good chance 713 00:37:12,438 --> 00:37:14,648 that she was not gonna survive her injuries. 714 00:37:14,649 --> 00:37:16,734 [siren wailing] 715 00:37:18,277 --> 00:37:21,739 Once more officers got on scene, we separated Mr. Barisone. 716 00:37:23,866 --> 00:37:26,702 We had him seated against a landscaping trailer, 717 00:37:27,203 --> 00:37:28,788 waiting for medical attention. 718 00:37:29,705 --> 00:37:32,123 While sitting there with his back against the trailer, 719 00:37:32,124 --> 00:37:34,542 he just was staring off in the distance 720 00:37:34,543 --> 00:37:38,172 and repeated, "I had a good life," three times. 721 00:37:43,803 --> 00:37:47,098 [Jonathan] I arrived at the hospital, and I have no idea what happened. 722 00:37:48,015 --> 00:37:49,975 Some doctor comes in and said, 723 00:37:49,976 --> 00:37:52,686 "We can't keep her blood pressure up. We're gonna have to..." 724 00:37:52,687 --> 00:37:54,521 I forget exactly what he said, 725 00:37:54,522 --> 00:37:58,566 "but we have to get her to surgery and get the trauma team working." 726 00:37:58,567 --> 00:38:00,527 And now we realize it's serious, 727 00:38:00,528 --> 00:38:02,988 and I guess this was on, uh, Wednesday, 728 00:38:02,989 --> 00:38:06,033 and I guess we were able to see her, and she had... 729 00:38:09,870 --> 00:38:14,125 so many, you know, tubes in her mouth and her nose and bandages, and... 730 00:38:16,043 --> 00:38:18,629 And we just didn't know whether she was gonna make it or not. 731 00:38:21,590 --> 00:38:23,175 [Lauren] I opened my eyes. 732 00:38:25,386 --> 00:38:28,764 I don't know where I am... at all. 733 00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:35,520 I see tubes coming out of my left side abdomen, 734 00:38:35,521 --> 00:38:37,355 and I see machines. 735 00:38:37,356 --> 00:38:39,150 I see machines everywhere. 736 00:38:39,650 --> 00:38:41,444 So that's when I started thinking, 737 00:38:42,028 --> 00:38:46,614 "Maybe I'm not, like, in limbo or, like, some in-between place." 738 00:38:46,615 --> 00:38:50,745 "Maybe I'm in a hospital, but why do I not remember anything?" 739 00:38:51,329 --> 00:38:55,249 "Why don't I remember how I... Why don't I remember how I got here?" 740 00:38:56,167 --> 00:38:58,294 So my mom comes in smiling. 741 00:38:59,253 --> 00:39:01,630 She said, "You've been through surgery." 742 00:39:02,757 --> 00:39:06,635 "You just woke up, and you've been in a coma." 743 00:39:07,178 --> 00:39:08,636 "And the doctors are coming in." 744 00:39:08,637 --> 00:39:14,018 And you start to slowly remember little bits of the things that happened. 745 00:39:15,394 --> 00:39:18,980 I can't wait to be there in court to testify to what happened. 746 00:39:18,981 --> 00:39:20,899 This is an open-and-shut case. 747 00:39:20,900 --> 00:39:22,734 What could possibly go wrong? 748 00:39:22,735 --> 00:39:25,236 [unsettling music playing] 749 00:39:25,237 --> 00:39:28,406 [reporter] A US Olympian is accused of attempted murder. 750 00:39:28,407 --> 00:39:30,992 He was a member of the 2008 Beijing Olympic team 751 00:39:30,993 --> 00:39:34,996 and the 2009 Sportsman International Horseman of the Year. 752 00:39:34,997 --> 00:39:37,833 Police say this incident is still under investigation. 753 00:39:39,960 --> 00:39:41,252 [Michael] I was awakened. 754 00:39:41,253 --> 00:39:42,212 [music fades] 755 00:39:42,213 --> 00:39:45,173 And I remember, I looked at my arm, 756 00:39:45,174 --> 00:39:49,512 and it was wrapped in this stuff like this from my shoulder down to my hand. 757 00:39:50,012 --> 00:39:52,807 And I couldn't bend it. I looked, and I said, "What the fuck?" 758 00:39:54,642 --> 00:39:55,768 "I want my lawyer." 759 00:39:59,355 --> 00:40:02,400 {\an8}[Bilinkas] I think I'm the best there is at what I do. 760 00:40:03,484 --> 00:40:05,610 I don't advertise. 761 00:40:05,611 --> 00:40:07,571 I don't have a website. 762 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:14,412 All I have is 43 years of pouring my heart and soul into each case. 763 00:40:15,287 --> 00:40:18,164 It takes over my mind, my soul, 764 00:40:18,165 --> 00:40:21,793 and I give everything that I have 765 00:40:21,794 --> 00:40:26,966 because every time I try a case, I have someone's life in my hands. 766 00:40:28,968 --> 00:40:31,386 I travel to Morris County Jail, 767 00:40:31,387 --> 00:40:34,140 and I'm put into a room. 768 00:40:35,391 --> 00:40:38,269 And all of a sudden, the door opens, 769 00:40:38,853 --> 00:40:41,522 and Michael comes shuffling in. 770 00:40:42,898 --> 00:40:44,107 He tells me... 771 00:40:44,108 --> 00:40:46,068 I don't remember being at the scene. 772 00:40:46,569 --> 00:40:51,448 Someone ruined my life, and they did it on purpose. 773 00:40:51,449 --> 00:40:55,743 At first, I wasn't sure I believed, 774 00:40:55,744 --> 00:41:00,833 but he started to tell me about this woman, Lauren Kanarek. 775 00:41:01,584 --> 00:41:04,002 [Michael] She started to attack me on Facebook. 776 00:41:04,003 --> 00:41:06,629 And it is this unabating attack. 777 00:41:06,630 --> 00:41:08,423 She's talked about, "The king needs to die, 778 00:41:08,424 --> 00:41:10,341 queen needs to die, weapons hot." 779 00:41:10,342 --> 00:41:12,135 What person bugs another person? 780 00:41:12,136 --> 00:41:14,138 What are you planning to do to us? 781 00:41:15,222 --> 00:41:18,641 I had called everyone from the Equestrian Federation to the cops, 782 00:41:18,642 --> 00:41:20,685 asking for the chief, asking for detectives, 783 00:41:20,686 --> 00:41:21,728 emails, phone calls, 784 00:41:21,729 --> 00:41:23,730 the Washington Township Police Department. 785 00:41:23,731 --> 00:41:27,234 I know the number by heart. It's 908-876-3232. 786 00:41:28,444 --> 00:41:32,238 In deciding how to approach Michael's case, 787 00:41:32,239 --> 00:41:38,370 it was clear that a psychiatric defense was something that I needed to look into. 788 00:41:39,246 --> 00:41:42,540 Only a very small percentage of all felony defendants 789 00:41:42,541 --> 00:41:44,584 successfully use the insanity defense. 790 00:41:44,585 --> 00:41:47,504 [reporter 1] Insanity defense, a claim that at the time of the crime, 791 00:41:47,505 --> 00:41:50,048 the defendant did not know the conduct was wrong 792 00:41:50,049 --> 00:41:52,759 {\an8}as a result of a severe mental disease or defect. 793 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:57,222 {\an8}[reporter 2] ...raised in only one percent of all felony cases in this country. 794 00:41:57,223 --> 00:42:00,683 {\an8}Jeffrey Dahmer tried to plead insanity, and the jury rejected it. 795 00:42:00,684 --> 00:42:03,645 {\an8}Even though he admitted to cannibalizing his victims. 796 00:42:03,646 --> 00:42:05,522 [reporter 3] John Wayne Gacy killed 33 children. 797 00:42:05,523 --> 00:42:08,483 The jury refused to accept Gacy's insanity defense. 798 00:42:08,484 --> 00:42:11,110 {\an8}Why is the insanity defense so rarely successful? 799 00:42:11,111 --> 00:42:14,365 {\an8}[scoffs] Perhaps because it so rarely is credible. 800 00:42:15,282 --> 00:42:18,744 [Bilinkas] Chris Deininger is the legal mind of the team. 801 00:42:19,245 --> 00:42:21,621 The basis of the insanity defense 802 00:42:21,622 --> 00:42:24,707 is that you have a mental disease or defect 803 00:42:24,708 --> 00:42:26,417 at the time of the act 804 00:42:26,418 --> 00:42:29,254 that prohibits you from knowing right or wrong 805 00:42:29,255 --> 00:42:31,130 or being able to control your behavior. 806 00:42:31,131 --> 00:42:37,554 It was our position that Lauren Kanarek had driven Michael Barisone insane. 807 00:42:37,555 --> 00:42:40,014 At the time of the shooting, 808 00:42:40,015 --> 00:42:42,684 Michael was in a delusional state 809 00:42:42,685 --> 00:42:46,896 and therefore would not be responsible for his actions. 810 00:42:46,897 --> 00:42:49,524 {\an8}A rare strategy, the insanity defense, 811 00:42:49,525 --> 00:42:53,528 {\an8}claiming Lauren used social media to push him to his breaking point. 812 00:42:53,529 --> 00:42:56,489 {\an8}Some 50-year-old man all of a sudden developing a mental illness 813 00:42:56,490 --> 00:42:59,242 {\an8}at this point in his life seems highly unlikely. 814 00:42:59,243 --> 00:43:02,537 {\an8}[reporter] He faces up to a maximum of 60 years in prison. 815 00:43:02,538 --> 00:43:04,497 {\an8}[Bilinkas] Who takes a case like this? 816 00:43:04,498 --> 00:43:07,750 Who mounts a defense in a case like this? 817 00:43:07,751 --> 00:43:10,546 I believed that I could pull it off. 818 00:43:13,966 --> 00:43:18,094 {\an8}Thank you, members of the jury. We are ready to commence with the trial, 819 00:43:18,095 --> 00:43:20,097 {\an8}beginning with opening statements. 820 00:43:20,598 --> 00:43:22,558 - [indistinct chattering] - Quiet on the set! 821 00:43:23,058 --> 00:43:27,729 {\an8}There's no way to describe the pressure, the intensity that you feel. 822 00:43:27,730 --> 00:43:29,606 {\an8}You walk into that courtroom, 823 00:43:29,607 --> 00:43:34,611 {\an8}and the judge tells me it's time for me to give my opening. 824 00:43:34,612 --> 00:43:39,074 That moment is like no other moment in my life. 825 00:43:39,783 --> 00:43:42,494 I stand up, I walk to the jury, 826 00:43:43,412 --> 00:43:46,248 and I say my first words. 827 00:43:48,292 --> 00:43:50,960 "Help! I'm in..." 828 00:43:50,961 --> 00:43:52,879 "...fear of my life." 829 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:54,214 "Someone..." 830 00:43:55,049 --> 00:43:58,093 "...anyone, please, help me!" 831 00:43:59,553 --> 00:44:03,515 {\an8}Those are the cries for help from Michael Barisone. 832 00:44:05,392 --> 00:44:06,851 It's a tragedy, 833 00:44:06,852 --> 00:44:11,106 a tragedy that Lauren Kanarek was shot on that day. 834 00:44:11,899 --> 00:44:13,150 That said, 835 00:44:13,817 --> 00:44:15,735 there is another tragedy. 836 00:44:15,736 --> 00:44:20,783 The tragic story of Michael Barisone. 837 00:44:21,408 --> 00:44:25,204 Every man has a breaking point. 838 00:44:26,747 --> 00:44:29,708 What this case is really about, 839 00:44:30,417 --> 00:44:33,920 it's about Lauren Kanarek and her boyfriend 840 00:44:33,921 --> 00:44:40,469 devising a plan to destroy this man and drive him crazy. 841 00:44:41,345 --> 00:44:42,971 [Taylor] Thank you, Mr. Bilinkas. 842 00:44:43,472 --> 00:44:44,682 {\an8}Uh, Mr. Schellhorn? 843 00:44:45,974 --> 00:44:48,394 Do I need to, uh, project more? 844 00:44:49,019 --> 00:44:49,977 {\an8}I'm Chris Schellhorn. 845 00:44:49,978 --> 00:44:53,773 {\an8}I'm an assistant prosecutor in the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. 846 00:44:53,774 --> 00:44:59,570 Part of, um, a prosecutor's role is to represent the crime victims 847 00:44:59,571 --> 00:45:02,908 and hopefully seek justice on their behalf as we go to court. 848 00:45:03,867 --> 00:45:04,784 Good morning. 849 00:45:04,785 --> 00:45:08,621 Thank you again, all, for being here today and for serving on the jury. 850 00:45:08,622 --> 00:45:12,291 It is definitely a lot of pressure to give the opening statement 851 00:45:12,292 --> 00:45:15,211 in a way where you're gaining that trust with the jury 852 00:45:15,212 --> 00:45:18,715 but also being persuasive in what you're telling them. 853 00:45:18,716 --> 00:45:22,301 We're here on this trial because of the defendant's choice 854 00:45:22,302 --> 00:45:24,554 on August 7th, 2019. 855 00:45:24,555 --> 00:45:26,473 His choice to get a gun, 856 00:45:27,099 --> 00:45:29,559 to point that gun at Lauren and pull the trigger twice, 857 00:45:29,560 --> 00:45:32,645 and then to turn it on Rob and pull the trigger again. 858 00:45:32,646 --> 00:45:35,398 We knew that we had prepared 859 00:45:35,399 --> 00:45:39,193 and had a... a coherent theory of... of what happened, 860 00:45:39,194 --> 00:45:41,237 why the shooting happened when it happened, 861 00:45:41,238 --> 00:45:44,700 what was going on between these folks leading up to the shooting. 862 00:45:45,284 --> 00:45:48,077 This man, the defendant, is the one on trial. 863 00:45:48,078 --> 00:45:50,329 So you may hear things that you don't like 864 00:45:50,330 --> 00:45:54,334 about Lauren or Rob or Mary Haskins or any of these other people. 865 00:45:55,002 --> 00:45:58,546 But none of that is a justification to get shot. 866 00:45:58,547 --> 00:46:00,006 Looking at the charges, 867 00:46:00,007 --> 00:46:03,509 make sure that we have enough evidence to give to a jury 868 00:46:03,510 --> 00:46:06,012 that would establish the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. 869 00:46:06,013 --> 00:46:09,057 We felt that we had sufficient evidence to prove that. 870 00:46:13,145 --> 00:46:15,646 [Bilinkas] To mount a defense of insanity, 871 00:46:15,647 --> 00:46:17,857 you need to have an expert, 872 00:46:17,858 --> 00:46:21,486 a psychiatrist who's evaluated your client. 873 00:46:21,487 --> 00:46:25,783 His diagnosis is that it meets the legal definition. 874 00:46:26,575 --> 00:46:27,658 [Taylor] Call your witness. 875 00:46:27,659 --> 00:46:31,204 [Bilinkas] Defense calls Dr. Steven Simring. 876 00:46:31,205 --> 00:46:35,416 What I was trying to prove is that Lauren Kanarek had a plan 877 00:46:35,417 --> 00:46:38,045 to destroy Michael Barisone. 878 00:46:38,629 --> 00:46:41,547 {\an8}Doctor, uh, what are your opinions 879 00:46:41,548 --> 00:46:45,384 {\an8}that you formed reviewing everything in its entirety? 880 00:46:45,385 --> 00:46:49,055 [Simring] Mr. Barisone, in my opinion, has two diagnoses. 881 00:46:49,056 --> 00:46:52,558 So the first diagnosis is delusional disorder. 882 00:46:52,559 --> 00:46:57,231 And the second diagnosis is persistent depressive disorder. 883 00:46:57,981 --> 00:46:59,774 [Bilinkas] Dr. Simring agreed, 884 00:46:59,775 --> 00:47:06,656 and he also felt that Michael Barisone was driven over the edge by Lauren Kanarek 885 00:47:06,657 --> 00:47:09,951 and that he was not responsible for his actions. 886 00:47:09,952 --> 00:47:11,702 When you have a delusional disorder, 887 00:47:11,703 --> 00:47:14,413 you don't get talked out of the false belief. 888 00:47:14,414 --> 00:47:16,958 The core false belief 889 00:47:16,959 --> 00:47:20,753 is that Lauren Kanarek was going to annihilate him 890 00:47:20,754 --> 00:47:22,713 and did everything he could 891 00:47:22,714 --> 00:47:26,509 to try to protect himself against this delusion. 892 00:47:26,510 --> 00:47:29,178 [Bilinkas] As far as the actual incident, 893 00:47:29,179 --> 00:47:32,682 he was never able to give you any specific details-- 894 00:47:32,683 --> 00:47:36,395 That is correct. He gave me no details, and he gave law enforcement no details. 895 00:47:37,062 --> 00:47:39,856 [Bilinkas] Did he know the difference between right and wrong? 896 00:47:39,857 --> 00:47:42,150 Time of the incident, he did not. No. 897 00:47:43,569 --> 00:47:46,696 [reporter 1] Michael Barisone has no personal knowledge of what happened. 898 00:47:46,697 --> 00:47:48,323 Pretty hard for a jury to swallow. 899 00:47:48,991 --> 00:47:52,243 [reporter 2] You can snap that much that you don't remember nothing? 900 00:47:52,244 --> 00:47:55,037 [Deininger] We have a doctor's opinion saying he was broken. 901 00:47:55,038 --> 00:47:56,497 We started to present evidence 902 00:47:56,498 --> 00:48:01,295 of people who saw physical manifestations of Michael's breaking. 903 00:48:02,045 --> 00:48:04,797 {\an8}[Bilinkas] Did you ever see Michael break down 904 00:48:04,798 --> 00:48:08,593 in response to what he saw on those social media posts? 905 00:48:08,594 --> 00:48:13,848 Um, he continued to become more and more fearful, 906 00:48:13,849 --> 00:48:17,852 um, to unravel, to be in panic, sheer panic. 907 00:48:17,853 --> 00:48:20,855 [Bilinkas] Can you describe your observations, 908 00:48:20,856 --> 00:48:23,774 say, for the last two or three days 909 00:48:23,775 --> 00:48:25,193 {\an8}prior to the shooting? 910 00:48:25,819 --> 00:48:28,572 {\an8}I would say he was in an almost catatonic state. 911 00:48:29,406 --> 00:48:31,366 {\an8}Hadn't been sleeping, eating... 912 00:48:32,200 --> 00:48:33,201 Um... 913 00:48:33,702 --> 00:48:35,495 Glazed-over look in his eyes. Just... 914 00:48:37,956 --> 00:48:41,293 [Bilinkas] Every trial has its ups and downs. 915 00:48:42,169 --> 00:48:45,254 Each day is a separate battle. 916 00:48:45,255 --> 00:48:47,966 The only thing that matters at the end 917 00:48:48,467 --> 00:48:51,136 is winning the war. 918 00:48:52,054 --> 00:48:54,056 [horse whinnies] 919 00:48:54,640 --> 00:48:56,307 [Schellhorn] The State calls Lauren Kanarek. 920 00:48:56,308 --> 00:48:58,100 [Taylor] All right, Lauren Kanarek. 921 00:48:58,101 --> 00:49:02,396 [clerk] Do you swear in the presence of almighty God that testimony you give... 922 00:49:02,397 --> 00:49:03,814 [Deininger] Discovery starts, 923 00:49:03,815 --> 00:49:06,776 and in a normal case, it'd usually be a small file. 924 00:49:06,777 --> 00:49:12,491 But in this case, it was a book of 30, 40 DVDs. 925 00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:16,119 {\an8}There were mountains of text messages. 926 00:49:17,162 --> 00:49:18,955 Lauren Kanarek's Facebook account, 927 00:49:18,956 --> 00:49:21,708 that was 19,800 pages. 928 00:49:22,542 --> 00:49:25,169 {\an8}All right, cross examination, Mr. Bilinkas. 929 00:49:25,170 --> 00:49:27,589 {\an8}- [Bilinkas] Good afternoon. - [Lauren] Good afternoon. 930 00:49:28,590 --> 00:49:31,134 With regards to your Facebook account, uh, 931 00:49:32,010 --> 00:49:34,513 you were posting things daily, correct? 932 00:49:35,263 --> 00:49:36,098 Correct. 933 00:49:36,598 --> 00:49:40,226 I had spent 100 hours-plus 934 00:49:40,227 --> 00:49:42,812 going through all her social media posts. 935 00:49:42,813 --> 00:49:45,315 I felt that I could destroy her. 936 00:49:46,483 --> 00:49:48,818 "Once a homewrecker, always a homewrecker." 937 00:49:48,819 --> 00:49:52,780 "She is hardly more than pond scum. Weapons hot." 938 00:49:52,781 --> 00:49:54,115 Did you say that? 939 00:49:54,116 --> 00:49:57,618 - Probably. - "It's about time to possibly go to war." 940 00:49:57,619 --> 00:50:00,371 [Lauren] Go back to the post from a minute ago about-- 941 00:50:00,372 --> 00:50:02,332 - I'm moving on. I have a lot to go. - Okay. 942 00:50:03,083 --> 00:50:08,713 What Ed and I were trying to do was to bring out the truth from the witness 943 00:50:08,714 --> 00:50:10,173 that they were trying to mask. 944 00:50:10,757 --> 00:50:14,635 Do you recall saying things like, "The king will be killed, 945 00:50:14,636 --> 00:50:16,804 the queen will be sacrificed"? 946 00:50:16,805 --> 00:50:19,849 I don't know, honestly. I was talking about a chess game, 947 00:50:19,850 --> 00:50:21,851 and it might have been an analogy, but-- 948 00:50:21,852 --> 00:50:23,602 [Bilinkas] But the analogy was towards 949 00:50:23,603 --> 00:50:26,230 Michael Barisone and Mary Haskins, correct? 950 00:50:26,231 --> 00:50:27,274 Most certainly. 951 00:50:27,774 --> 00:50:30,568 [Bilinkas] The things that Lauren Kanarek had... had done 952 00:50:30,569 --> 00:50:35,573 were enough to drive anyone crazy. 953 00:50:35,574 --> 00:50:37,992 Did you say words to the effect, 954 00:50:37,993 --> 00:50:42,621 "This is me. Look out 'cause here I come"? 955 00:50:42,622 --> 00:50:44,331 I'm like, "Yes." 956 00:50:44,332 --> 00:50:45,666 ♪ This is me ♪ 957 00:50:45,667 --> 00:50:47,960 {\an8}♪ Look out 'cause here I come... ♪ 958 00:50:47,961 --> 00:50:51,465 I think it was a post from The Greatest Showman. 959 00:50:53,258 --> 00:50:56,093 He was so dirty to take something 960 00:50:56,094 --> 00:51:00,139 so obviously not about murder 961 00:51:00,140 --> 00:51:02,267 or fighting or hostility. 962 00:51:04,102 --> 00:51:05,811 I have no recollection of that. 963 00:51:05,812 --> 00:51:07,313 [laughs] 964 00:51:07,314 --> 00:51:11,609 I only brought out the things that I thought were helpful to the jury. 965 00:51:11,610 --> 00:51:15,822 After I brought in numerous documents 966 00:51:16,406 --> 00:51:19,617 indicating that she said this or she said that, 967 00:51:19,618 --> 00:51:22,037 I asked her that pivotal question. 968 00:51:22,621 --> 00:51:26,792 Did you have a plan to destroy Michael Barisone? 969 00:51:28,585 --> 00:51:29,711 At some point, yes. 970 00:51:31,296 --> 00:51:33,005 As soon as she said that, 971 00:51:33,006 --> 00:51:35,133 I thought the game was over. 972 00:51:36,259 --> 00:51:38,469 [Taylor] Ladies and gentlemen, we'll break for today. 973 00:51:38,470 --> 00:51:40,305 Please don't discuss the case. 974 00:51:40,889 --> 00:51:43,141 You can step down, ma'am. You just wait outside. 975 00:51:43,725 --> 00:51:47,311 [Deininger] With questions and answers like that, you really get this sense 976 00:51:47,312 --> 00:51:50,397 that there was a concerted effort to break him. 977 00:51:50,398 --> 00:51:54,819 Bilinkas is using a word that I'm interpreting in a different way. 978 00:51:54,820 --> 00:51:56,905 In my mind, I'm thinking, 979 00:51:57,447 --> 00:52:02,785 he has done nothing but harass me, bully me, and try to ruin my life. 980 00:52:02,786 --> 00:52:04,453 I don't want him destroyed. 981 00:52:04,454 --> 00:52:05,955 I wanted him stopped. 982 00:52:05,956 --> 00:52:08,041 Michael Barisone 983 00:52:09,751 --> 00:52:13,255 was driven over the edge 984 00:52:13,839 --> 00:52:16,091 by Lauren Kanarek. 985 00:52:17,884 --> 00:52:20,637 Pure evil. 986 00:52:21,596 --> 00:52:26,183 [Taylor] Mr. Schellhorn, does the State have any rebuttal witnesses? 987 00:52:26,184 --> 00:52:27,352 [Schellhorn] Yes, Judge. 988 00:52:27,853 --> 00:52:31,064 Our theory at trial was that you can't shoot somebody. 989 00:52:31,982 --> 00:52:35,568 And Michael Barisone took a substantial step 990 00:52:35,569 --> 00:52:38,279 in a course of conduct to kill Lauren Kanarek. 991 00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:40,115 And that was his purpose. 992 00:52:40,615 --> 00:52:41,824 [clears throat] 993 00:52:41,825 --> 00:52:43,868 The State will call Dr. Louis Schlesinger. 994 00:52:43,869 --> 00:52:45,828 [Taylor] All right, Dr. Schlesinger. 995 00:52:45,829 --> 00:52:48,998 {\an8}[Schellhorn] In this case, did you find any evidence of delusions 996 00:52:48,999 --> 00:52:51,167 {\an8}based on your examination of Michael Barisone? 997 00:52:51,168 --> 00:52:54,712 {\an8}No. I found... I found no evidence of this at all. 998 00:52:54,713 --> 00:52:58,966 Dr. Schlesinger did not diagnose delusional disorder, 999 00:52:58,967 --> 00:53:01,385 didn't find any evidence of delusion in the case. 1000 00:53:01,386 --> 00:53:04,263 I think that this is malingered amnesia. 1001 00:53:04,264 --> 00:53:09,018 He claimed that he doesn't have memory only for the criminal behavior. 1002 00:53:09,019 --> 00:53:12,063 His memory for everything else is excellent. Are you kidding? 1003 00:53:13,356 --> 00:53:16,025 If you have good memory like he does, 1004 00:53:16,026 --> 00:53:19,862 and the only thing you forget is criminal conduct, 1005 00:53:19,863 --> 00:53:21,156 that's a red flag. 1006 00:53:22,824 --> 00:53:26,995 They made him into this, like, you know, big Olympian who became a broken man. 1007 00:53:27,871 --> 00:53:29,079 "Why is this like this?" 1008 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:31,207 "It had to have been those people." 1009 00:53:31,208 --> 00:53:33,876 "Because when we knew him, he was this." 1010 00:53:33,877 --> 00:53:35,837 "And now he's this." 1011 00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:40,591 He's this, like, shell of a man looking for when the jury's there 1012 00:53:40,592 --> 00:53:42,718 to make sure he looks extra crazy, 1013 00:53:42,719 --> 00:53:46,264 and then when the jury's not there, he's taking notes. 1014 00:53:46,848 --> 00:53:50,392 There's a certain point in the trial where we're talking about a Twitter post. 1015 00:53:50,393 --> 00:53:52,102 Michael posted, 1016 00:53:52,103 --> 00:53:54,939 "Once you got into the Olympics, you have all this power." 1017 00:53:54,940 --> 00:53:57,775 "I'm gonna do whatever I want." Encouraging this person-- 1018 00:53:57,776 --> 00:54:00,569 He said, "I'm gonna do whatever I want," in that Twitter? 1019 00:54:00,570 --> 00:54:04,365 Something like that. I'm paraphrasing most of these things. 1020 00:54:04,366 --> 00:54:06,158 Like you have a little bit. 1021 00:54:06,159 --> 00:54:08,577 - But, um, yes. - [Bilinkas scoffs] 1022 00:54:08,578 --> 00:54:11,331 He gets this note handed to him from Michael, 1023 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:16,085 crazy Michael who's sitting there banging his head on the table, you know... 1024 00:54:16,086 --> 00:54:18,420 [wails] Making all these faces, 1025 00:54:18,421 --> 00:54:21,423 but has enough common sense, 1026 00:54:21,424 --> 00:54:24,803 and, like, obviously, he's still in reality enough 1027 00:54:25,303 --> 00:54:28,514 to make a note to give to his lawyer. 1028 00:54:28,515 --> 00:54:29,807 "Make sure you add that in." 1029 00:54:29,808 --> 00:54:31,850 [Bilinkas] Would it surprise you to know 1030 00:54:31,851 --> 00:54:35,187 that Michael Barisone doesn't have a Twitter account? 1031 00:54:35,188 --> 00:54:37,899 He's not still insane. That's not what the thing was. 1032 00:54:38,900 --> 00:54:40,944 He was pleading insanity for that time. 1033 00:54:41,444 --> 00:54:43,363 Why's he still looking like a crazy person? 1034 00:54:44,322 --> 00:54:46,156 [Schellhorn] Do you see Mr. Barisone in court? 1035 00:54:46,157 --> 00:54:49,868 Um, I think it's... I think that's Michael sitting next to his attorney. 1036 00:54:49,869 --> 00:54:52,663 Although I will say, he looks different than when I saw him. 1037 00:54:52,664 --> 00:54:55,958 When I saw him, he was well-groomed and looked appropriate, 1038 00:54:55,959 --> 00:54:58,377 and now he looks... long, disheveled hair. I... 1039 00:54:58,378 --> 00:55:00,296 That's not how he looked when I saw him. 1040 00:55:00,297 --> 00:55:02,589 [Lauren] This is acting. This is theater you're watching. 1041 00:55:02,590 --> 00:55:04,758 If you're not smart enough to know that, 1042 00:55:04,759 --> 00:55:07,512 you should not be on a jury, period. 1043 00:55:08,555 --> 00:55:13,642 I think one of the challenges here was that they were working together. 1044 00:55:13,643 --> 00:55:16,061 They were living at the same property. 1045 00:55:16,062 --> 00:55:19,107 They each had perhaps separate goals. 1046 00:55:19,733 --> 00:55:23,235 At some point, did Michael Barisone send you a text message 1047 00:55:23,236 --> 00:55:27,365 telling you that he would make things miserable for them to stay? 1048 00:55:28,158 --> 00:55:30,327 {\an8}[Schellhorn reads messages aloud] 1049 00:55:35,957 --> 00:55:36,791 Yes. 1050 00:55:37,876 --> 00:55:40,919 Well, Lauren is driving Michael crazy 1051 00:55:40,920 --> 00:55:43,881 because she's saying all these bad things about him 1052 00:55:43,882 --> 00:55:45,966 and reporting him to SafeSport, 1053 00:55:45,967 --> 00:55:50,637 and meanwhile, that's exactly what Michael Barisone and Mary Haskins 1054 00:55:50,638 --> 00:55:52,307 are doing to Lauren. 1055 00:55:54,768 --> 00:55:57,270 [tense music playing] 1056 00:56:03,443 --> 00:56:05,944 [Schellhorn] Did you or the defendant at some point 1057 00:56:05,945 --> 00:56:10,115 make a complaint directly to USEF about Lauren Kanarek? 1058 00:56:10,116 --> 00:56:11,200 Yes. 1059 00:56:11,201 --> 00:56:14,495 Our argument to the jury was that a lot of his behavior 1060 00:56:14,496 --> 00:56:17,206 was inconsistent with someone who was scared. 1061 00:56:17,207 --> 00:56:22,044 He was having his lawyer send fake eviction notices to scare her. 1062 00:56:22,045 --> 00:56:25,298 Michael did not want to start eviction. 1063 00:56:25,965 --> 00:56:29,635 He wanted to scare her into leaving. So... 1064 00:56:29,636 --> 00:56:33,597 The reason we didn't just leave is because we couldn't, 1065 00:56:33,598 --> 00:56:37,309 because they were calling barns and bad-mouthing us. 1066 00:56:37,310 --> 00:56:40,729 The barns that were going to take my horses suddenly wouldn't. 1067 00:56:40,730 --> 00:56:45,025 Michael Barisone never wanted to just use the words to Lauren, 1068 00:56:45,026 --> 00:56:47,528 "You're not welcome here. You need to leave," 1069 00:56:47,529 --> 00:56:53,450 and instead tried all these sideways and backhanded ways to get her to leave, 1070 00:56:53,451 --> 00:56:56,413 and when that didn't work, resorted to violence. 1071 00:56:58,998 --> 00:57:01,709 There are different theories on how you try a case. 1072 00:57:02,627 --> 00:57:05,380 Some cases call for the drama at the beginning. 1073 00:57:07,590 --> 00:57:10,426 Sometimes you want to ramp up the drama till the end. 1074 00:57:10,427 --> 00:57:13,345 [clerk] State your name and spell your last name for the record. 1075 00:57:13,346 --> 00:57:16,640 Ruth Pinnix Cox. My last name is C-O-X. 1076 00:57:16,641 --> 00:57:17,599 [clerk] Thank you. 1077 00:57:17,600 --> 00:57:19,643 - Ms. Cox. You may have a seat. - Thank you. 1078 00:57:19,644 --> 00:57:22,229 All right. Please keep your voice up so we hear... 1079 00:57:22,230 --> 00:57:25,858 {\an8}[Schellhorn] Dr. Cox owned a horse with Mary Haskins Gray 1080 00:57:25,859 --> 00:57:27,985 {\an8}that was being trained with Mary Haskins 1081 00:57:27,986 --> 00:57:31,321 and being trained at the property by Michael Barisone. 1082 00:57:31,322 --> 00:57:34,199 On August 4th, were you having a conversation 1083 00:57:34,200 --> 00:57:36,952 with the defendant in the stables on that property? 1084 00:57:36,953 --> 00:57:39,413 - Yes, sir. I was. - [Schellhorn] Did he ask for something? 1085 00:57:39,414 --> 00:57:41,415 - Yes, sir. - What did he ask you for? 1086 00:57:41,416 --> 00:57:44,710 He wanted to see a gun that I had in my car. 1087 00:57:44,711 --> 00:57:46,879 Do you recall what kind of gun that was? 1088 00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:49,674 It is a 9mm Ruger. 1089 00:57:50,341 --> 00:57:53,218 [Schellhorn] You have any concerns with giving it to him at that time? 1090 00:57:53,219 --> 00:57:56,054 Absolutely, sir, I did not at that time. 1091 00:57:56,055 --> 00:57:58,140 Dr. Cox gave him the gun. 1092 00:57:58,141 --> 00:58:00,185 It was unloaded. It was in the case. 1093 00:58:01,686 --> 00:58:04,606 Michael Barisone put that gun into his gun safe. 1094 00:58:06,149 --> 00:58:08,860 And that was three days before the shooting, 1095 00:58:09,777 --> 00:58:13,614 which would indicate someone planning a murder 1096 00:58:13,615 --> 00:58:15,408 or preparing for a murder. 1097 00:58:17,452 --> 00:58:20,163 This wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision, 1098 00:58:21,331 --> 00:58:23,082 but there was a culmination here. 1099 00:58:24,334 --> 00:58:26,001 It wasn't the product of a delusion, 1100 00:58:26,002 --> 00:58:30,339 but it was a response to neither side getting what they wanted. 1101 00:58:30,340 --> 00:58:32,508 And it came to a head on August 7th 1102 00:58:32,509 --> 00:58:36,261 when a caseworker from the Division of Child Protection 1103 00:58:36,262 --> 00:58:37,889 arrived at the farm. 1104 00:58:39,265 --> 00:58:42,726 {\an8}Minutes later, Michael Barisone is getting into his car 1105 00:58:42,727 --> 00:58:45,103 {\an8}and driving a half a mile to confront Lauren 1106 00:58:45,104 --> 00:58:49,776 without even ever knowing or understanding why that worker was at the property. 1107 00:58:50,360 --> 00:58:53,278 Were you there looking specifically for Michael Barisone? 1108 00:58:53,279 --> 00:58:54,197 No. 1109 00:58:54,781 --> 00:58:57,199 [Schellhorn] The caseworker had been sent there 1110 00:58:57,200 --> 00:58:59,785 because of a neglect complaint from SafeSport 1111 00:58:59,786 --> 00:59:04,706 about potential neglect involving Mary Haskins and her children. 1112 00:59:04,707 --> 00:59:06,124 {\an8}[Lauren] When I made the report, 1113 00:59:06,125 --> 00:59:08,877 {\an8}SafeSport kept asking, "Are there minors on the property?" 1114 00:59:08,878 --> 00:59:10,754 I'm not CPS, and I don't have kids, 1115 00:59:10,755 --> 00:59:13,006 so I don't know what they're thinking about this 1116 00:59:13,007 --> 00:59:14,091 or why it's important. 1117 00:59:14,092 --> 00:59:16,760 I'm reporting him for what he is doing. 1118 00:59:16,761 --> 00:59:21,683 It was only about harassment, bullying, and abuse of power. 1119 00:59:22,684 --> 00:59:26,853 While Mary Haskins and the caseworker were having that private conversation, 1120 00:59:26,854 --> 00:59:28,981 three times he went in and interrupted. 1121 00:59:28,982 --> 00:59:31,400 And on the third occasion is when he told them 1122 00:59:31,401 --> 00:59:33,319 he needed to use the office, 1123 00:59:33,945 --> 00:59:36,572 the office being the place where the gun safe was. 1124 00:59:36,573 --> 00:59:41,326 His own expert testifies he remembers getting the gun, 1125 00:59:41,327 --> 00:59:44,496 loading it, and driving to go confront her. 1126 00:59:44,497 --> 00:59:46,915 [Schellhorn] Your recollection is that at some point, 1127 00:59:46,916 --> 00:59:49,418 when you were interviewing Michael Barisone, 1128 00:59:49,419 --> 00:59:51,253 he told you that he remembered 1129 00:59:51,254 --> 00:59:54,673 getting the gun from the safe before he went to the house? 1130 00:59:54,674 --> 00:59:57,134 - Yes. - You agree that's not in your report? 1131 00:59:57,135 --> 01:00:00,137 I'm not gonna look through it and waste the jury's time. 1132 01:00:00,138 --> 01:00:01,889 I'll accept your representation. 1133 01:00:02,390 --> 01:00:05,892 He made a conscious decision to go into his office 1134 01:00:05,893 --> 01:00:08,353 to get his gun, to load the gun, 1135 01:00:08,354 --> 01:00:10,440 put it in his pocket, hide it, 1136 01:00:11,024 --> 01:00:15,819 and that he went there knowing that this was... the end. 1137 01:00:15,820 --> 01:00:18,364 - [siren wailing] - [chattering over police radio] 1138 01:00:21,409 --> 01:00:24,244 [podcaster] We should have a kind of lengthy show this morning 1139 01:00:24,245 --> 01:00:25,746 with the closing arguments 1140 01:00:25,747 --> 01:00:28,333 of the Michael Barisone attempted murder trial. 1141 01:00:29,667 --> 01:00:31,377 [Taylor] We'll bring the jurors in. 1142 01:00:33,087 --> 01:00:35,172 [Bilinkas] There's a connection with the jury. 1143 01:00:35,173 --> 01:00:39,092 I think they appreciate my passion. 1144 01:00:39,093 --> 01:00:41,595 He could've made up a much better story! 1145 01:00:41,596 --> 01:00:43,722 "Kanarek had a gun. I shot her." 1146 01:00:43,723 --> 01:00:46,016 "I was getting the hell beaten out of me!" 1147 01:00:46,017 --> 01:00:49,561 "I don't remember" doesn't help him. 1148 01:00:49,562 --> 01:00:55,275 They believe that I believe that Michael Barisone was not guilty. 1149 01:00:55,276 --> 01:00:57,944 I don't have any remarkable catchphrases for you. 1150 01:00:57,945 --> 01:00:59,739 I'm not gonna cry. 1151 01:01:00,281 --> 01:01:03,992 I'm just gonna ask you to follow the facts and apply the law. 1152 01:01:03,993 --> 01:01:06,203 When it comes time for closing argument, 1153 01:01:06,204 --> 01:01:10,749 I'm asking them to rely on the evidence we gave them and return a guilty verdict, 1154 01:01:10,750 --> 01:01:13,001 {\an8}that they trust the case that we gave them. 1155 01:01:13,002 --> 01:01:16,546 Just based on the fact that the defendant used a deadly weapon, 1156 01:01:16,547 --> 01:01:20,551 you can infer that his purpose was to take a life. 1157 01:01:21,135 --> 01:01:24,388 He knew when he opened the safe and took that gun 1158 01:01:24,389 --> 01:01:27,224 exactly what he was going to do. 1159 01:01:27,225 --> 01:01:31,562 What Lauren Kanarek did to him was horrible! 1160 01:01:32,897 --> 01:01:33,939 Horrible! 1161 01:01:33,940 --> 01:01:39,945 Who goes to the extent that Lauren Kanarek and Robert Goodwin went to? 1162 01:01:39,946 --> 01:01:42,239 Mr. Bilinkas said that about Lauren Kanarek 1163 01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:44,491 over and over and over. 1164 01:01:44,492 --> 01:01:45,659 "Who would do this?" 1165 01:01:45,660 --> 01:01:47,828 {\an8}The defendant is doing 1166 01:01:47,829 --> 01:01:50,872 the exact same thing to her. 1167 01:01:50,873 --> 01:01:54,836 Michael Barisone was insane at the time of the incident. 1168 01:01:55,586 --> 01:01:58,505 He was suffering from a mental defect. 1169 01:01:58,506 --> 01:02:01,675 There's no memory disorder that a person would forget 1170 01:02:01,676 --> 01:02:04,219 just the time when they're committing a criminal act 1171 01:02:04,220 --> 01:02:06,471 until they're finished committing the criminal act. 1172 01:02:06,472 --> 01:02:09,683 They had a plan to destroy Michael Barisone. 1173 01:02:09,684 --> 01:02:12,269 Don't let them use you! 1174 01:02:12,270 --> 01:02:15,689 I would ask that you not return a verdict 1175 01:02:15,690 --> 01:02:19,234 based on any sympathy, disgust, or emotion. 1176 01:02:19,235 --> 01:02:22,280 Find Michael Barisone not guilty! 1177 01:02:23,030 --> 01:02:27,076 It is the right and just thing to do. 1178 01:02:30,121 --> 01:02:32,622 [reporter 1] Breaking news coming out of New Jersey 1179 01:02:32,623 --> 01:02:34,374 as a verdict is in. 1180 01:02:34,375 --> 01:02:36,918 [reporter 2] A verdict is handed in in the attempted murder case 1181 01:02:36,919 --> 01:02:38,712 of ex-Olympian Michael Barisone. 1182 01:02:38,713 --> 01:02:41,174 {\an8}The verdict is in for Michael Barisone. 1183 01:02:42,175 --> 01:02:44,302 [Bilinkas] The jury had been out for days. 1184 01:02:44,927 --> 01:02:48,013 The pressure, again, is mounting. 1185 01:02:48,014 --> 01:02:50,808 You never know what a jury is gonna do. 1186 01:02:52,143 --> 01:02:53,935 [Schellhorn] As I tell almost all victims, 1187 01:02:53,936 --> 01:02:56,688 I felt very confident in the proofs that we had, 1188 01:02:56,689 --> 01:03:01,611 but anything is possible when the case goes to deliberations. 1189 01:03:02,320 --> 01:03:03,862 All right, counsel, Mr. Barisone. 1190 01:03:03,863 --> 01:03:05,989 {\an8}The jury sent out a note about ten minutes ago 1191 01:03:05,990 --> 01:03:09,201 {\an8}that they have in fact reached a verdict in this matter. 1192 01:03:09,202 --> 01:03:10,202 {\an8}So we're gonna bring... 1193 01:03:10,203 --> 01:03:13,122 {\an8}I was convinced Michael could literally have a heart attack. 1194 01:03:14,624 --> 01:03:16,125 [Lauren] I couldn't be in the room. 1195 01:03:16,626 --> 01:03:20,128 I left and went to go, like, sit on the stairs 1196 01:03:20,129 --> 01:03:21,755 with just my head on my hands. 1197 01:03:21,756 --> 01:03:23,840 [tense music playing] 1198 01:03:23,841 --> 01:03:27,845 [Schellhorn] The moment that a verdict comes in is highly stressful, 1199 01:03:28,429 --> 01:03:31,264 and it only gets worse as the jurors walk into the courtroom, 1200 01:03:31,265 --> 01:03:35,770 and literally the fate of the case is in their hands. 1201 01:03:37,647 --> 01:03:38,940 [Taylor] Be seated, everyone. 1202 01:03:42,527 --> 01:03:45,071 {\an8}All right, Mr. Foreman, please rise, please. 1203 01:03:47,031 --> 01:03:51,159 Mr. Foreman, has the jury agreed upon a verdict in this case? 1204 01:03:51,160 --> 01:03:52,494 [foreman] We have. 1205 01:03:52,495 --> 01:03:56,248 [Taylor] With regard to count one, attempted murder of Lauren Kanarek, 1206 01:03:56,249 --> 01:03:57,499 what is your verdict? 1207 01:03:57,500 --> 01:04:00,086 [foreman] Not guilty by reason of insanity. 1208 01:04:03,506 --> 01:04:05,842 [Taylor] With regard to count two... 1209 01:04:07,718 --> 01:04:12,390 [podcaster] I can't remember the last time I heard, "Not guilty, reason of insanity." 1210 01:04:13,641 --> 01:04:16,685 [man 1] It's not temporary insanity. If he was temporarily insane, 1211 01:04:16,686 --> 01:04:19,980 why'd he sit in the courtroom every day, looking like he was a crazy man? 1212 01:04:19,981 --> 01:04:21,898 He did it 'cause he put on a show, 1213 01:04:21,899 --> 01:04:24,402 and the jury bought it hook, line, and sinker. 1214 01:04:25,111 --> 01:04:28,947 [man 2] There's a lot of conjecture, the idea that he was acting this way. 1215 01:04:28,948 --> 01:04:32,117 But I think for... That would have to be an Oscar-level performance 1216 01:04:32,118 --> 01:04:34,453 for him to act that way for eight hours. 1217 01:04:36,414 --> 01:04:39,207 [Bilinkas] People are saying, "That's an act." 1218 01:04:39,208 --> 01:04:42,711 "You had him act like this, had him act like that." 1219 01:04:42,712 --> 01:04:46,507 Fuck you. That never happened. 1220 01:04:47,967 --> 01:04:52,013 That was raw human emotion. 1221 01:04:54,307 --> 01:04:57,142 [Lara] They announced the verdict over the loudspeaker 1222 01:04:57,143 --> 01:04:59,519 at the show in Florida. 1223 01:04:59,520 --> 01:05:02,731 People at the show were cheering and crying. 1224 01:05:02,732 --> 01:05:05,275 Hashtag Free Michael! 1225 01:05:05,276 --> 01:05:09,237 People would text me and say, "Oh, my God, you've got to see the comments." 1226 01:05:09,238 --> 01:05:12,490 And, you know, they would send me a screenshot. 1227 01:05:12,491 --> 01:05:15,995 Very few people had any support for her. 1228 01:05:16,704 --> 01:05:19,414 [Taylor] Members of the jury, you have heard the verdict 1229 01:05:19,415 --> 01:05:21,959 as reported by your foreperson. 1230 01:05:22,752 --> 01:05:26,088 {\an8}The defendant, Mr. Barisone, will now be civilly committed. 1231 01:05:27,256 --> 01:05:32,720 [Schellhorn] You can't shoot somebody, and I think that remains true. 1232 01:05:33,346 --> 01:05:35,389 From a civilized perspective, 1233 01:05:36,140 --> 01:05:40,645 even if you don't like Lauren, even if you don't like what she was doing, 1234 01:05:41,145 --> 01:05:43,730 it's just so hard for me to wrap my head around 1235 01:05:43,731 --> 01:05:47,068 someone maintaining that it was okay to shoot her. 1236 01:05:47,652 --> 01:05:51,029 [Jonathan] When you reach breaking point, you don't kill somebody. 1237 01:05:51,030 --> 01:05:53,698 You quit your job. You divorce your wife. 1238 01:05:53,699 --> 01:05:56,076 You throw the child out, move across the country. 1239 01:05:56,077 --> 01:06:00,164 The world knows you don't kill people because you're upset with them. 1240 01:06:19,350 --> 01:06:21,059 Finally, freedom! 1241 01:06:21,060 --> 01:06:22,435 Justice! 1242 01:06:22,436 --> 01:06:24,229 Finally, for all! 1243 01:06:24,230 --> 01:06:26,648 Michael Barisone is a free man! 1244 01:06:26,649 --> 01:06:28,025 [man] Yee-haw! 1245 01:06:31,320 --> 01:06:32,904 Thank you so much. Go home and-- 1246 01:06:32,905 --> 01:06:35,699 - [Bilinkas] I'm gonna get drunk. - [Michael] I'm not. 1247 01:06:35,700 --> 01:06:36,866 [Bilinkas chuckles] 1248 01:06:36,867 --> 01:06:39,996 [Bilinkas] After the not guilty by reason of insanity, 1249 01:06:40,621 --> 01:06:43,707 Michael was put in a mental institution. 1250 01:06:43,708 --> 01:06:47,293 The doctors did there an extensive evaluation 1251 01:06:47,294 --> 01:06:51,881 and determined he does not have a mental defect 1252 01:06:51,882 --> 01:06:54,801 and that he should be released to the community. 1253 01:06:54,802 --> 01:06:57,304 [laughter] 1254 01:06:59,306 --> 01:07:02,893 I was physically at the trial every single day. 1255 01:07:03,519 --> 01:07:05,603 Through everything, our relationship just grew, 1256 01:07:05,604 --> 01:07:09,482 and, you know, we just had feelings for each other. 1257 01:07:09,483 --> 01:07:13,778 With the verdict, it was a huge, huge, huge relief 1258 01:07:13,779 --> 01:07:16,865 because I knew that we would have a future. 1259 01:07:16,866 --> 01:07:18,951 [soft music playing] 1260 01:07:23,205 --> 01:07:27,167 I'm sitting here because somebody said, "This wasn't his fault. He broke." 1261 01:07:27,168 --> 01:07:30,170 Whether I did anything wrong or I didn't do anything wrong, 1262 01:07:30,171 --> 01:07:31,629 regardless of all that, 1263 01:07:31,630 --> 01:07:33,798 I've been given a chance to have a new life, 1264 01:07:33,799 --> 01:07:35,092 and I wanna live it well. 1265 01:07:38,804 --> 01:07:41,097 - Halt. Halt. - [horse whinnies] 1266 01:07:41,098 --> 01:07:42,183 Thank you. 1267 01:07:42,933 --> 01:07:44,310 Okay, walk on. 1268 01:07:46,854 --> 01:07:48,647 [woman] How are you recovering from this? 1269 01:07:49,148 --> 01:07:51,816 I mean, it's... it's been a long road, 1270 01:07:51,817 --> 01:07:56,489 a very long, difficult, hard road that is never-ending. 1271 01:07:58,407 --> 01:08:02,369 Once two bullets collapse your lung entirely, 1272 01:08:03,579 --> 01:08:07,333 your body is never going to be the same again. 1273 01:08:09,043 --> 01:08:14,256 I do not think Michael Barisone is insane one single bit. 1274 01:08:15,216 --> 01:08:18,051 [Deininger] Something incredibly bad happened here. 1275 01:08:18,052 --> 01:08:21,054 I think that everybody involved has a chance 1276 01:08:21,055 --> 01:08:23,431 to start to try and live their lives again. 1277 01:08:23,432 --> 01:08:26,768 People go, "Michael, you got your life back!" Blah, blah. No! 1278 01:08:26,769 --> 01:08:30,563 I lost a tremendous amount, and I've gained back a lot, 1279 01:08:30,564 --> 01:08:34,901 but this is still this trauma, stigma thing. 1280 01:08:34,902 --> 01:08:37,987 I have an asterisk next to my name for the rest of my life. 1281 01:08:37,988 --> 01:08:39,198 I wanna show you this. 1282 01:08:39,698 --> 01:08:41,825 We have everything printed, every single thing. 1283 01:08:41,826 --> 01:08:43,910 Two TBs of things printed. 1284 01:08:43,911 --> 01:08:47,205 I don't know if they're all here. These are important messages too. 1285 01:08:47,206 --> 01:08:50,250 This is all printed-out text messages. 1286 01:08:50,251 --> 01:08:53,211 Don't get sucked down that stupid rabbit hole from these people. 1287 01:08:53,212 --> 01:08:56,131 If you'd like me to produce the exchange, I'll be happy to produce it. 1288 01:08:56,132 --> 01:08:58,217 [tense music playing] 1289 01:09:01,011 --> 01:09:04,264 I get told again and again and again, "Michael, leave this behind." 1290 01:09:04,265 --> 01:09:06,099 I'm not allowed to leave this behind. 1291 01:09:06,100 --> 01:09:08,476 [Lauren] This is the transcript of audio... 1292 01:09:08,477 --> 01:09:11,020 [Michael] This stack alone is hundreds of pages. 1293 01:09:11,021 --> 01:09:13,398 Rob, where is Dr. Hassan's... 1294 01:09:13,399 --> 01:09:16,109 How in the world does someone survive this? 1295 01:09:16,110 --> 01:09:21,197 I was a law-abiding man who never had any problems in life at all. 1296 01:09:21,198 --> 01:09:23,533 - Posting for page after page-- - Michael, we got-- 1297 01:09:23,534 --> 01:09:25,410 Drink this. Relax. 1298 01:09:25,411 --> 01:09:26,578 We got this. 1299 01:09:26,579 --> 01:09:29,122 So he thought I was gonna burn the barn down? 1300 01:09:29,123 --> 01:09:31,583 Bullshit. I'm not defending myself against a post 1301 01:09:31,584 --> 01:09:33,084 that he made up in his head... 1302 01:09:33,085 --> 01:09:37,839 It's just so unbelievable that this jury could reach this verdict. 1303 01:09:37,840 --> 01:09:39,757 She has to watch it over and over again. 1304 01:09:39,758 --> 01:09:42,218 I'd prefer she stop watching because it's so painful. 1305 01:09:42,219 --> 01:09:46,806 Lauren Kanarek sat on a stand in a courtroom, and she said, 1306 01:09:46,807 --> 01:09:50,102 "I instituted a plot to destroy his life." 1307 01:09:50,769 --> 01:09:53,771 Lauren, you tried to destroy my life, and you failed. 1308 01:09:53,772 --> 01:09:58,276 If I was to actually make the Olympic Games or the World Cup final, 1309 01:09:58,277 --> 01:10:01,529 I will be the biggest comeback in history. 1310 01:10:01,530 --> 01:10:03,865 - [man 1] Michael Barisone! - [man 2] Michael Barisone. 1311 01:10:03,866 --> 01:10:05,825 - [man 3] Michael Barisone. - [cheering] 1312 01:10:05,826 --> 01:10:07,619 And that's my goal. 1313 01:10:07,620 --> 01:10:10,830 I'm not the type of person to go cry in the corner. 1314 01:10:10,831 --> 01:10:14,752 Come hell or high water, I'm going to continue in this sport. 1315 01:10:15,252 --> 01:10:17,838 And if you want me out of it, you're gonna have to kill me 1316 01:10:18,422 --> 01:10:19,548 like Michael tried to. 1317 01:10:21,050 --> 01:10:23,177 [tense music playing] 1318 01:11:53,142 --> 01:11:55,311 [music ends]