Ex-Olympian Speaks Out After Long Valley Murder Trial Verdict

LONG VALLEY, NJ — An ex-Olympic equestrian who was recently found not guilty by reason of insanity of shooting his trainee at a Long Valley farm appeared on an episode of "48 Hours" this month.

Michael Barisone, 57, shot student Lauren Kanarek and attempted to shoot her fiancée at his prestigious Barisone Dressage facility in Long Valley after what he described as months of psychological torture by Kanarek.

Barisone gave his first television interview since the conclusion of his trial for the attempted murder in "The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek," the 35th season premiere of "48 Hours."

Barisone was charged with attempted murder and weapons charges after the attempt to murder Kanarek. At trial, his attorney claimed that Kanarek's harassing attacks temporarily drove Barisone insane before he snapped.

Barisone was ultimately found not guilty by a jury in Morris County Superior Court. He was also found not guilty of trying to kill Karanek's fiancée and for the weapons charges and aggravated assault.

According to a probable cause affidavit, a long-standing conflict between Barisone and Kanarak came to a head on Aug. 7, 2019, when Barisone went to the home Kanarak and her fiancée rented on Barisone's Hawthorne Farms property.

According to court documents, around 2:13 p.m., Barisone shot Kanarak twice in the chest at close range. He is also accused of attempting to shoot her fiancée but missing and instead hitting the house.

Prior to the shooting, Barisone had called the Washington Township Police Department multiple times complaining about Kanarak's presence on his property after hours. "This is a situation is getting worse and worse and worse, the police have been here twice in the last three days. They are nuts, they're stalking us, they're harassing us, and last night there was a Facebook post," Barisone said in a 911 call to the police.

Following the shooting, Barisone told investigators, psychologists, and the jury that he has no memory of the shooting itself, which he repeated to a CBS reporter during the special.

"The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek" raises concerns about social media, specifically whether someone can be harassed enough online to snap, shoot someone, and then use temporary insanity as a defense in court, as Barisone did.

The "48 Hours" special includes interviews with Lauren and Jonathan Kanarek, Michael Barisone, attorneys for both sides, and friends, including top Olympic riders.

The full episode, titled "The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek" can be viewed on CBS and on Paramount+.