48 Hours - The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek

Episode Date: September 19, 2022

Did social media posts drive an Olympic horseman to shoot his own student? "48 Hours" contributor Nikki Battiste reports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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ConstantContact.ca How significant are horses in your life? They're the most significant thing. I don't think I could live without them in my life. Hi! Hey! Good boy! Why did she want to ride with Michael? Everyone wants to ride with Michael. He was a legend. He was the most sought after trainer in the world. Everybody wanted to train with Michael Barrasone. He had competed in the Olympics as a rider.

He had also trained riders who competed in the Olympics. He's a larger than life character. He walked the walk and he talked the talk. What did Lauren want from Michael? More than anything, his undivided attention. She felt like, as a paying customer, she should be treated a certain way. She wanted to be the star of the barn. I think she became extremely upset when Michael's full attention wasn't focused on her. Mary Haskins was the one who, in her mind, was standing in her way of getting to her goals.

Two women both vying for Michael's attention as one of the best trainers in the world. Yeah. Yeah. Michael Barrison stuck between two women, his love interest and Lauren. His love interest and his financial need that he needed. How would you describe Lauren's treatment of Michael on social media? Horrible. There were things coming out on social media that were horrific. So I think we live in this world now where your reputation or your career or your identity can be changed like that and can be devastating.

I remember complete and total panic. Everybody says I was unglued. I was unglued. I was unglued. Did you want Lauren Kanarek dead? I wanted Lauren Kanarek to leave, to go away. Why would I want anyone dead? 911 operator 32, what's the address? I've been shot in the arm.

The gov. Stone shot me. Every man, woman has a breaking point. Please help. Please help. I'm losing a lot of blood. Your little girl. Just indescribable. It was horrible. She'd flatlined several times. We had no idea whether she was going to live or die.

Did you shoot Lauren Kenrick? I'm told I did. Pulls it out. Points at it. Boom. it, boom, boom. Just like that. But I have no recollection of that event, zero, nothing. I could not believe in my world that Michael would do something like this. Now, did you have a plan to destroy Michael Barrisone?

At some point, yes. None of that is a justification to get shot. Good morning, doctor. Morning. She drove him crazy. She gaslighted him, and she drove him over the edge. Is it possible to actually drive a human crazy? That's exactly what happened.

Michael Barrison should be in state prison for the rest of his life. A. We'll be right back. We see pictures of you at the Olympics looking like a king. Yeah. And then we see you in the courtroom looking like a defeated man. Yeah. How do you reconcile those two images? I am a defeated man. 58-year-old Michael Barrison spent a lifetime standing proud in the winner's circle. But come spring 2022, he was in a Morristown, New Jersey courtroom. He claimed at the time of the shooting,

he temporarily lost his mind. He knew what he was doing when he loaded bullets into the gun. Prosecutor Christopher Shelhorn made the case that Barrison was sane, that he knew exactly what he was doing when he took that pistol and tried to kill one of his own riding students, Lauren Shea Canarec. He pulled out a gun and shot me once, twice, directly in the chest. Yet with the help of emergency surgery, Lauren survived. Can you imagine a life without these beautiful animals? No. No chance. See?

It is a sensational trial, with Lauren herself accused by the defense of deliberately driving Barrison insane. She did the worst thing any human being could do to another human being. An international superstar in the equestrian sport of dressage. She was the person that was shot and almost lost her life that day. Michael Barrison charged with two counts of attempted murder, facing 80 years. She sees his hand come up and then just boom, boom. In court, the once regal rider

appeared as a disheveled shadow of his former self. It is as far a fall from grace as his elite sport has ever seen. As he awaited judgment, his fellow Olympians rallied around him. For you to see him like that, how did it feel? It's that hot. But we're going to get him back. Now 77 years old, in 1992, Michael Pullen took home a medal from Barcelona. You won a bronze at the Olympics.

Yes, ma'am. I loved Michael when he was 11. Very energetic and very intense to learn. Were you like a father figure to him? I was his mentor. It's rare to find a young man with that energy and that desire. But Michael, boy, he hung on to it tough. He wanted it.

Philip Dutton is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, one of the best in the world. You got the feeling that if you were on Michael's team, you know, he was going to back you all the way. And then there's Olympian Boyd Martin. He recalls first meeting Michael. He had a big cowboy hat on that was sort of marching around and yelling, and you're like, who the hell's that guy?

And someone said, oh, it's Michael Beresone. He was passionate, he was loud, but he was a big teddy bear too. Beresone knew he was a good rider. Here's Michael Beresone, down upon New Jersey. He also knew he was an even better coach. As a coach, having someone that's got a track record, that's been there and done it, it's a wonderful thing. The demand for Barrison allowed him to acquire two magnificent farms to accommodate a sport rich enough to chase the seasons.

45 minutes outside of Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Florida, is Barrison's winter headquarters. Michael's larger than life. While he is that, he's also so down to earth. Jordan Osborne, her mother Lara, Chelsea Westra, and their horses too, have all been coached by Barrison. In a sport that's all about discipline and restraint. Control. A lot of control. Dressage Dreams also brought all three women here. The jewel in their champion's crown. 53 acres of prime New Jersey horse country.

An equestrian paradise. Michael Barrison called it Hawthorne Hill. You had dozens of horses, these beautiful rolling green pastures, outdoor arena, a huge beautiful indoor arena. The barn was huge. And come 2019, Jordan and Chelsea had become working students, living above the barn 24-7 taking care of the horses in exchange for lessons from an Olympian. care of the horses in exchange for lessons from an Olympian. Yeah, that is the dream, you know, to train with someone who is one of the best in the world. Come, come. Good boy. Lauren Canorac had her own dressage dreams of becoming a champion. See, it's good to bow your head, and then they know that you mean them no harm.

At 37, Lauren knew exactly what she needed and wanted. In seeking a top trainer, what were you looking for? In seeking a top trainer, I'm looking for somebody who I think is going to push me, someone who has been there and done that. We have Michael Barrison at Sevier. It seemed to describe Michael Barrison to a T, so Lauren made her way to Hawthorne Hill, hoping Barrison was the one. There's a million different reasons or things that could make a trainer relationship work or not work.

But few could imagine how Barrison and Canorac would soon clash and crash and burn. I'm losing a lot of love. would soon clash and crash and burn. I'm losing a lot of blood. Mitt, where are you? Mitt, where are you? It is their love for horses that led Canorac and Barrison's paths to cross. It would twist into a road to ruin, something neither could have imagined when each first climbed into a saddle. Tell me about Lauren Canorac, the little girl who fell in love with horses. It all started at a barn. We met up with Lauren at a small horse farm in Wellington, Florida. How old were you? Probably two or three. I never saw or got like rode a horse and I like

never stopped thinking about them after that basically. That was it? That was it. I did have a little girl dreaming of a pony. And her love for horses and riding began. Yeah. Lauren's father, retired Wall Street attorney John Kanarac, took fast note of his daughter's determination. Lauren really wanted to do this. I always knew I was going to get my own horse. And at the end of high school... You know, one day I was just like, this is happening. What was that like?

That was amazing. The first of many dreams which came true. It is a fairy tale, but with it comes great responsibility because you have your horse to take care of. Lauren took the reins and headed towards the ballet movements of dressage. Dressage means training in French. It's dancing with horses. It's about harmony. John wasn't quite sure what dancing horses was all about. Well, my experience with horses, you know, was a wind play show, you know, at Belmont. As Lauren won her first amateur ribbons,

dressage superstar Barrison was a spokesman for the sport. Michael, thank you so much for having me. Even educating a bemused Stephen Colbert. Now, is this how you start it? You just pull this like a lawnmower? All right, lean back. Not too much. The tiara is yours.

Woo! Do you think you've gotten to that point where you are the best rider you can be? Definitely not. March 2018. The Olympian was hosting a clinic for aspiring riders at his Florida horse farm. Lauren signed up. And while she was there, Michael Barrison approached her,

apparently saw that maybe she had some aptitude, and asked her to come and train with him at that point. Prosecutor Christopher Shellhorn and defense lawyers Ed Belinkas and Chris Deininger would eventually become adversaries immersed in the lives of Barrison and Canorac. Why does she want to ride with Michael? Everyone wants to ride with Michael. So she decided to have her horses boarded at his farm and decided to go and train with him. Barrison said, you know, we can go places. Come up and,

you know, leave yourself in my hands. It was an offer that couldn't be refused. The range was $5,000 a month. She had two horses in training at that point in time. Michael Barrison agreed to speak with 48 Hours with the support of his attorneys. On the day we talked with him, he appeared calm. While he says he has no memory of the crime, he does remember the events leading up to it at Hawthorne Hill. This was my life. That was my home. I built that from scratch. That was a labor of love.

Barrison provided housing there for Lauren Canorac and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin. I said, all right, as long as when they're in training, I'll throw in an apartment. That seems very generous. We all have bills to pay. Overnight, Lauren wasn't just training with Barrison. She and Rob were living with him. And that was different than any other arrangement that he had with anyone else. The apartment was in the White Farmhouse that Barrison shared with his assistant trainers,

Justin Harden and Mary Haskins Gray, a respected Grand Prix rider and divorced mother of two. We lived together. She was my partner. I thought we were going to have a life together. She was Michael's girlfriend and the assistant trainer at the barn. Mary had two young children that lived there with her and with Michael. At times, yes. How was Michael's relationship with Mary's young kids? He loved them. Yeah, he adored them.

And they really adored him. It all must have given Lauren great expectations. The child who dreamed of a pony, now the student of a dressage master. She was even posting pictures on her Facebook of her and Michael Barrison. I knew at least this could work out for a time and be good. So why not try it out?

It was supposed to be a great relationship, and it was for a long time. Barrison found that Lauren could be demanding. Still, nothing unusual. We all have difficult clients. They're not all going to be easy relationships. You know, there's sayings like, go as far as you can see and then you can see farther. And that's kind of what I live by. Like, I will challenge myself every single day. Lauren Canarac was comfortable talking about her horses and riding, but she chose not to speak with 48 Hours about Michael Barrison and all that happened at Hawthorne Hill. But Jordan, Lara, and Chelsea say by summer, tension set in, and that it started with those expectations about the degree of attention the student would get from the master.

Was part of the deal that Lauren would train exclusively with Michael? That was Lauren's understanding. Everyone wants to be trained by the name on the door. The Olympian. Yep, exactly. by the name on the door. The Olympian. Yep, exactly.

Just because we need to set the record straight here, I never exclusively trained any of my clients. You are trained by this community. That means Justin Harden, it means Mary Haskins, it means me. And it's understood that the head trainer will help you sometimes, the assistant trainers will help you other times. I think she became extremely upset

when Michael's full attention wasn't focused on her. Mary Haskins was the one who, in her mind, was standing in her way of getting to her goals. Two women both vying for Michael's attention as one of the best trainers in the world. Yeah. Yeah. The tranquility of Hawthorne Hill was on track to being shattered. It just happened so fast. It was sort of a very cold war until August 1st. It became a hot war.

There's a war, and it's going to be dealt with right now. I've had enough of these people. I need them gone. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military, and when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free, starting October 29th on Amazon Music. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie

I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, early and ad-free on Wondery Plus and the Wondery app. Come, come. Halt. Halt.

How important is trust in your relationship with your horses? It's really important. Canorac Barrison and his staff had the trust of their horses. But over summer 2019, all human trust began to fray and would soon rip apart. The fact that they were all around one another almost 24-7 definitely put some stresses on those relationships. How was Lauren's relationship with Mary? I think it was very strained. While a top trainer, Mary Haskins Gray wasn't the Olympic

champion Lauren felt she had signed up for. So a trainer needs to be someone that you can trust and has the best intentions for you. It was a different kind of competition, with Lauren and Mary Haskins at the center of the contest. Jealousy and that romantic, you know, just didn't like Michael giving his attention. She wanted to be the best and didn't want anyone else in her way? I mean, Michael Barrison is the best, and maybe she was hoping some of that would rub off on her.

I almost feel as though there was some level of obsessiveness there with her interest in Michael. But Barrison's time wasn't the only issue. There was that $5,000 that Canteracs were paying him every month. Michael wanted his money, and he wanted to keep his girlfriend. He had a problem. Lauren was upset and wasn't going to be quiet. At what point does social media become an element to the strain in this relationship? Probably sometime in July of 2019. Elaborate. Lauren was very active on Facebook. Lauren launched her online offensive. She began by creating a dark Hawthorne Hill universe based on a chessboard. Michael Barrison, the king, has been captured

and killed. Mary Haskins, the queen, must be sacrificed to protect the castle. Our heads can't comprehend what she was thinking. Two weeks later, her post grew ominous. Anyone who repeatedly kicks a resting beast will eventually wake her up. There was a fear factor building. She was using it to terrify Michael. She says, it's war. I've declared war on them. The war raged on. Lauren told her father she was concerned about her horse's safety.

I mean, they're the reason I wake up in the morning, literally. They're also the reason I can't sleep at night, literally. She claimed that her animals were not being treated properly. Lauren told me that her horses are being misfed. They were just making things very difficult for her. Abusing the horses, not feeding the horses, overfeeding the horses. None of that was true. Barris' own supporters counter. It was Lauren violating barn rules. She just went into the barn in the middle of the night.

There were rumors that she was going to do stuff to the horses and come in in the middle of the night. But according to Lauren, one of her horses needed special care. Then came a disturbing discovery, and it had nothing to do with horses. When did you first learn about the recording devices Lauren put in the barn? About mid-July, we started hearing rumors and started talking. Lauren and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, had hidden small voice recorders at Hawthorne Hill. Lauren said she was making recordings because she was fearful of Barrison's staff.

What do you think Lauren was listening for? Anything to help her in whatever plan she had to destroy him. Kannerak took to Facebook and came for Barrison's career. She branded him racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic, allegations Barrison passionately denies, but that could get him banned from the sport. There were things coming out on social media that were horrific. It shook him to the bone.

The damage was done. Were the comments on social media by Lauren impacting Michael's reputation in the equestrian world? Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. So I think we live in this world now where your reputation or your career or your identity can be changed like that and can be devastating. The champion made his name

facing down all challenges in the saddle, but he says this onslaught from Lauren Kanarac overwhelmed him. But have somebody attack me or somebody hurt me and I crumble, I fall apart. I run from confrontation. Lauren claimed it was just the opposite. Lauren posted saying a 6'3 man was bullying her and she was fearful for her life. Did you ever see Michael bully Lauren?

Of course not. Threaten Lauren? No. No. Never. Never. Michael Barrison, I would stake my life and everything I got, family and everything. Barrison says he felt unsafe in his own home. He says living under the same roof as Lorne and Rob became impossible. Barrison and Haskins moved out of the farmhouse. Her daughter was away at camp.

Now her son was sent back to his dad. And I had to hug him and kiss him and said, buddy, I love you. You're my favorite guy in the whole world, but I have to send you home. It's not safe. We fled. We moved a quarter mile from the house to the stables. After welcoming Lauren Kanarac here to Hawthorne Hill,

it now seemed Michael Barrison wanted nothing more from her than to pack up, take her boyfriend and horses, and leave his farm. Why didn't Lauren just leave? Michael never asked Lauren to leave. Did you ask Lauren just leave? Michael never asked Lauren to leave. Did you ask Lauren to leave? Many times. And she said?

Refused. Many, many, many, many times. And eventually you call 911? Yes. 911 number 361 with the address of the emergency. July 31st, 2019 at 9 p.m., Michael Barrison makes what would be his first of four calls to police. The Olympian pleaded for help.

They have chased us out of our house and I need this dealt with tonight. Did you notice Michael's demeanor start to change? Oh, absolutely. He was spiraling out of control. And this. Barrison had a pistol, a pink and black 9mm handgun that belonged to one of his clients. The gun was locked up in a safe in his office. His choice to get a gun,

a pink and black 9mm handgun, to point that gun at Lauren and pull the trigger twice. So point that gun at Lauren and pull the trigger twice. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge? Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing The Best Idea Yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who brought them to life.

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early and ad-free right now. Michael Barrison says his paradise had turned to hell. And I walked outside and around that building all night, every night, in the dark. I never stopped. Chaos replaced control. He wasn't sleeping. He wasn't eating. You could hear it in his voice. He was cracky.

Lauren Kanarac kept up her online attack. You were scared? Yeah, of course. Scared for your life? At times. Again, Lauren took to Facebook. Everyone should be worried. Again, Lauren took to Facebook. And again, Barrison took online threats seriously and turned to police. We are in fear for our lives.

and turned to police. We are in fear for our lives. Local cops headed over, but may have seen it all as nothing more than a landlord-tenant dispute. When you learned that 911 calls were being made by Michael Barrison regarding your daughter, what are you thinking?

I'm thinking Barrison is making, you know, bogus 911 calls. But there was nothing bogus about what went down as the sun came up August 7th. Lauren posted. All my moves against them have been planned for months. Everything I've done to them so far has been child's play. The war was about to get very ugly. What put Michael over the edge? I mean, we can't say for sure. My guess is CPS coming. And I remember a minivan driving in, and that was the lady from Child Protective Services. It was a caseworker

from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families. And she said, I need to see Ms. Gray. And I yelled for Mary Haskins. I said, she needs to talk to you. They're going to take the kids. I yelled for Mary Haskins. I said, she needs to talk to you. They're going to take the kids. How did Child Protective Services end up at the farm? Child Protective Services was contacted by SafeSport. SafeSport is a watchdog group authorized by Congress dedicated to ending sexual and other abuse in sports.

And Lauren had filed a complaint with them. Lauren Kenreck had made a report to SafeSport about some of the bullying that she was experiencing by Michael Barrison and by Mary Haskins Gray. And how do you destroy someone in that community? SafeSport. This is Lauren's complaint. She alleged Barrison was being a bully and body shaming her.

The SafeSport forum asked, does this report involve allegations or concerns of child abuse or child sexual abuse? Lauren said, yes. She said the abuse was verbal, not physical. The breaking point is when child services show up. The caseworker was there to check on the welfare of Mary Haskins' two children, but by now, both were gone from Hawthorne Hill. Nothing worse than being accused of harming a child. The worst thing that anyone could ever be accused of. Did you ever see any sign that Michael in any way abused Mary's kids?

No, absolutely not. He loved them, and they really adored him. Have you ever seen any evidence that Michael Barrisone abused or neglected Mary's children or any children? I don't think there's any direct evidence was brought out of that. But a suggestion of possible child sexual abuse was too much for the Olympian to bear. He jumped to the conclusion that they were to investigate him for sexual abuse. He acted emotionally and decided that he was going to get the gun and end it by killing Lauren Kannerack. There's not much worse than being accused of harming a child.

Perhaps being shot. Mary Haskins and the caseworker were in Barrison's office. Do you remember going to get a gun at any point? No. I remember going in my office. Was the gun in your office in a safe?

Yes. Barrison interrupted the meeting with the social worker. He kissed Mary. He asked them both to wait outside. Then he opened his safe, took that gun, and went out the door. Michael Barrison headed down to the White Farmhouse. Exactly what happened next remains unclear. But at 2.13 that same day,

Lauren Canerac called 911, gasping for air. I've been shot in the heart. Michael Barrison shot me. He's out. He's out. Lauren was fighting for her life. Her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, struggled to subdue Michael Barrison. Stop f***ing moving!

Stop f***ing moving! Stop f***ing moving! In the chaos, Lauren and Rob's dog attacked Barrison. There were two men on top of each other and a woman shot twice in the upper left chest and in the hand. Corporal Derek Hymer had driven alone straight into an active crime scene. I rolled Mr. Barrison over and there was a gun next to his left hand. What kind of gun? It was a Ruger, 9mm Ruger handgun.

The cop grabbed the gun and tended to Lauren. She was pretty pale, almost gray. Canorac, bleeding out, got the first ambulance. Barrison, beaten by Goodwin and cuffed by Hymer, came next. The horseman whispered five words that said everything. I had a good life. He repeated that a couple of times. The war at Hawthorne Hill was done. Lauren Kanarac was struggling for her life. They didn't know if she had brain damage. They said we put her in a medically induced coma. She had tubes in her all over the place. The next day, Michael Barrison was charged with two counts of attempted murder.

He's never been a violent person. I said to the cops in my statement that night, she broke his brain. And she absolutely did. What was your reaction? I cried. I remember waking up in a hospital bed. And I remember pulling to move out of it and my hand was handcuffed to the rail. That detail he recalls.

But again, Verasone says he does not remember shooting Lorne Kanarek. Nothing. Nothing. I don't have any recollection of that. Nothing. I don't know what happened. This is State v. Barrison. Nearly three years of legal maneuvering would come to an end March 2022. Christopher Shelton, I'm at the State. Edward Malink is appearing on behalf of Michael Barrasso. He was furious, he was frustrated, and he most certainly knew what he was doing was wrong

when he tried to kill them. Help, I fear for my life. Those are the cries for help from Michael Barrasso. Those cries fell on deaf ears. Soon the jury would hear from Lauren, and she wanted to remind them that she was the victim. I was in a coma for four days, in the ICU for three weeks, unable to speak, because I had a ventilator shut down my throat. Like, my life was almost ended. Belinkas and Deininger set a rare strategy. Michael Barrison was temporarily insane.

An insanity defense is not one we hear every day. They hardly ever work. You took a risk. Yep. I took a huge risk. I have had a number of insanity defense cases in my career. Did you win them? This was the first one that went to trial. See more of how the shooting of Lauren Kanarek unfolded at 48hours.com.

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His relationship with Mary Haskins ended. Do you swear in the testimony that I'll be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Yes, ma'am. But she testified that the summer of 2019 was his time of terror. He continued to become more and more fearful, to unravel, to be in panic, sheer panic. As for Barrison's relationship with her children, Child Protective Services reported no issues, and Haskins was emphatic.

He was wonderful to my children. Did Michael Barrison love your son? Very much. Do you swear in the presence of Almighty God that shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I do. Mr. Martin, have a seat. The Olympians Barrison had trained now stood by his side. You know, I love the guy. He was instrumental in helping me get to my first Olympic Games and great mentor, coach, competitor. The lawyer's battleground became Barrison's brain.

In my mind, I wanted him examined by a top-notch forensic psychiatrist. How do you do? Doctors Stephen Simmering and Charles Hasson spent hours examining Barrison. Why did he do it? She drove him crazy. She gaslighted him and she drove him over the edge. Did you have a plan to destroy Michael Barrison? At some point, yes. She played with his reality. And she enjoyed playing with him, toying with him. And he cracked under that pressure. Have your breaking point. Don't take a gun and try and kill two people.

Shellhorn had his own strategy and his own forensic psychologist. Judge of the state will call Dr. Lewis Lessinger. Hi, doctor. Good afternoon. Taking a bead on Barrison, his sanity and his story. He claimed that he doesn't have memory only for the criminal behavior. Only for the criminal. His memory for everything else is excellent. Are you kidding? That's a red flag. Dr. Louis Lessinger didn't buy that Barrison's mind short-circuited.

So what does he not remember? Getting the gun, loading the gun, driving to where Lauren was. The only thing you don't remember is the criminal behavior. Why is that? Only thing you don't remember is the criminal behavior. Why is that? Robert Goodwin hit him on the head, which is probably the most likely reason that he lost memory. Lauren testified she felt she had been lied to, prevented by Barrison from reaching her lifelong dressage dream. Barrison's legal team says her frustration fed her appetite for revenge.

You wanted to ruin his business, correct? I think finally, yeah, that was in my mind. And according to Goodwin, if Lauren did want things resolved peacefully, she never got a final chance. She didn't get to say much to Michael before he pulled up the gun. He wasn't there for a conversation. He was there to kill us. At the center of this arena sat Barrison, silent, teary, ragged. He looked very different at the time of trial

than he did at any other point before that. It was a joke. You know, they had him ready for the insanity defense. After two weeks, the lawyers rested. Four tense days passed. With regard to count one, attempted murder of Lauren Canarac, what is your verdict? Not guilty by reason of insanity.

Not guilty. Him crumbling and falling into my arms, I feel emotional just talking about it. There is nothing greater in life than that feeling. It's unfathomable how satisfying it is when it goes the right way and you win. It's a great day in the legal system today. Michael Barrisone, not guilty by reason of insanity. What does not guilty by reason of insanity mean? It means he's not responsible for his conduct.

insanity mean? It means he's not responsible for his conduct. The jury ruled that at the time of the incident, Michael Barrison was insane. They were not charged with deciphering the distressed man sitting before them. What was Lauren's reaction to the verdict? Shocked, dismayed, couldn't believe it. Lauren is the victim in this story. Has that been lost? I think so. Unfortunately, that's been lost. People in the sport think Michael Barrisone has been vindicated. She drove Michael Barrisone crazy. Who does that to another individual?

You know, Michael Barrisone is a victim. When we spoke with Barrisone, it was just hours after the verdict. I'm Mr. Barrison. I'm Nikki. No longer looking at 80 years in prison, he seemed a different person. He had just checked in with the nurse. And she said, how are you? And I said, well, interestingly enough, it's probably the best day of my life. You know? Then the fallen horseman turned reflective.

I'm lost. I'm shipped without a rudder. The world I knew isn't any longer there, so I have to rebuild a new world. That won't ever happen. If attorney Bruce Nagel has his way, he is suing Barrison on Lauren's behalf. And I can tell you that the only temporary insanity that was in that courtroom was in the jury box. He was a complete faker, a complete fraud. He was absolutely 100% not acting. No, no strategy there. That is Michael Barrisone.

The Barrisone will be transported... And within weeks after the verdict, Barrisone was transferred to a psychiatric hospital. Michael Barrisone's supporters hope they will soon get the chance to welcome him home. When you think about the day he might walk back in here, how do you envision that? A lot of tears. Yeah, a lot of tears from everyone.

They'll be happy to see him. Absolutely. Horses are great healers. At some point, your relationship with Michael changed. Yes, it did. Across the walls of a jail, Lara Osborne and Michael Barrison became a couple. You couldn't go on a date.

No, no, certainly couldn't go on a date. Hopefully that will change soon. Have you learned anything about your daughter through all of this? She's even tougher than I thought. It is a miracle. Was there anything about your daughter through all of this? She's even tougher than I thought. It is a miracle. Me. Where will we see Lauren Kanarek in 10 years?

Hopefully still on a horse while I'm 51 years old. And hopefully I'll have a lot more horses. I want everyone in this whole thing to go on and have beautiful lives. Everyone. I only want everyone to do well with the dreams that they have. A young woman vanishes. Something's terribly wrong. The prime suspect had an unthinkable past. I met Rick Ennis when he was 12 years old.

And I said, where are your parents? He says, I killed them both. 48 Hours, Saturday on CBS. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey.