Long Valley Shooting: Barn Manager Heads To Pretrial Intervention

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Ruth Cox who was facing charges of handing Michael Barisone the gun that he ultimately used in an August 2019 shooting, is expected to take part in New Jersey’s Pretrial Intervention Program.

The Daily Record reports that it was decided on Tuesday, Cox, 74, will go to Pretrial Intervention in lieu of a potential 18-month prison sentence for unlawful firearm transfer charges.

She was taken into custody in October 2019 for her alleged connection to the shooting at the Barisone home on Aug. 7, 2019, when Lauren Kanarek was shot in the chest.

Cox, Barisone's barn manager who said she didn’t see the shooting, was documented as having called police the day after it to report that Kanarak’s fiancé Rob Goodwin had attempted to enter the barn, but appeared “menacing” as he did so. Goodwin told police that he and Cox had planned to meet and exchanged numbers beforehand; and he was there for hay and wraps for his horses.

However, during interviews with police the day Kanarak was shot, Cox reportedly told Washington Township police officers that she had a black and pink 9mm Ruger that Barisone requested to take a look at about two days before the incident, but it never came back to her.

The gun later retrieved from the scene, was registered to Cox. She will need to surrender the gun as part of the terms for her 36-month Pretrial Intervention.

Barisone’s case is scheduled for trial on March 28, with jury selection expected to start on March 21.

On Dec. 1, Barisone, 57, a former Olympic equestrian, appeared in court during the hearing where Washington Township Police Detective Derek Heymer, the first officer on the scene, testified.

RELATED: Long Valley Attempted Murder Case Jury Trial Planned For March

Barisone had filed a separate civil suit against 11 Washington Township Police officers in July, alleging police “failed to protect Barisone and others,” which was dismissed on Nov. 17.

Kanarak filed her own suit in October 2019 against Barisone, as well as Cox, a North Carolina resident, stating in the suit that Cox negligently allowed and failed to prevent Barisone from having access to the gun and as an end result, Kanarak suffered permanent injury.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a local news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.