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Emily Simpson
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
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Shane
12 months.
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Emily Simpson
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
Superhuman Podcast Narrator
Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all. Embedded in the games and with the
Shane
athletes for a full year, within probably 10 days, I'd put on £10. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.
Superhuman Podcast Narrator
Listen to Superhuman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Emily Simpson
Hate cleaning, Hate scrubbing, hate dishwashing. Bro, we got you millions of videos about smart cleaning hacks will make your chores feel like a breeze. Download TikTok and check it out. Hi, guys. Welcome to an episode of Legally Brunette. I will be your host today, Emily Simpson with my. My husband. Sidekick, whatever you are. What are you?
Shane
I'm Shane.
Emily Simpson
Shane, just Shane. Today we're going to be talking about, and this was a recommendation from you guys, which I truly, truly appreciate. It is called the Shooting at Hawthorne Hill and I had not heard of it until you guys had DM me a few times and told me that we should discuss It. So we're gonna discuss it. And actually, I'm really happy that I started watching it and that we're going to discuss it, but because I kind of. When I was growing up, we had horses, and I've ridden dressage. And so, you know, I have a little insight into this horse world that we're about to delve into. Equestrian.
Shane
Equestrian.
Emily Simpson
The equestrian world. It's called dressage, though. That's the type. That's the style of riding.
Shane
I know, but you said horse world.
Emily Simpson
Horse world. Equestrian world. And Shane knows a little, because when we first got married, I, I know
Shane
that I know nothing about horses.
Emily Simpson
I, I. But I had horses.
Shane
I know that I don't know how to ride one, and I know that they're very exp. Expensive.
Emily Simpson
Yes, he does know that. What do they say? The cheapest thing about buying a horse is buying a horse?
Shane
No, the cheapest thing about owning a horse is buying a horse.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
And your dad told me that after we bought a horse.
Emily Simpson
Right. Anyway. All right, so Lauren Canorac is the one of the main characters in this, and she was a dressage writer. Let's just talk a little bit about dressage. If someone doesn't know it is a style of riding. They. When you watch the Olympics and they have riding equestrian in the Olympics, it's dressage, and it's actually a form of it go. It dates back thousands of years. It was when they trained horses to fight during battles.
Shane
So horses learned, I would never guess that by looking at a horse in dressage.
Emily Simpson
Well, they, they, they train horses. This all comes from during battles, when you would have horses in battle and the horses would learn how to, you know, like, rear up to protect their rider, or they would learn how to sidestep to the side.
Shane
Is that more like, basically, you had more control over your horse's actions and maneuvers, and then you could use it for anything you needed. Right.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, but I mean, originally it was to train horses how to protect riders,
Shane
but now it's about dressing a certain way and looking proper. Yes, but it's still in your posture on the horse.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, but what they do in the Olympics is very, very advanced. It's very, very difficult. And there's a very, very small percentage of people that can actually get to that.
Shane
But that's what I would agree with that.
Emily Simpson
So Lauren Canorac is a dressage writer who was shot twice in the chest by her trainer who was an Olympic equestrian named Michael Barison. This was during a confrontation at his New Jersey equestrian farm in August of 2019. So, you know, I actually did not hear about this when it occurred. It was very. It was pretty recent. But anyway, did you. Have you ever heard of the story before?
Shane
No.
Emily Simpson
Okay. The two had developed a strained and increasingly hostile relationship after Lauren began training with him in 2018, with both sides accusing each other of conflict and harassment. Lauren survived after an emergency surgery and several days in a coma. Michael was arrested and charged with attempted murder, with his trial resulting in a very surprising outcome. I was surprised by the outcome. Their story is documented in the Netflix's Untold the Shooting at Hawthorne Hill, where I thought it was really interesting because. Well, first of all, he's interview interviewed in the documentary, so you can guess the outcome. He's not being interviewed from prison, so.
Shane
Well, I don't know. Sometimes they have those shows where you don't know if they are or aren't.
Emily Simpson
Yeah.
Shane
And then, like, at the end, it kind of reveals that they're actually in a. In a cell.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
Or.
Emily Simpson
And I. I kept thinking, okay, maybe. Maybe he's just dressed really nice and his hair looks good and it looks like he's in a living room, but maybe. Maybe he's not. But anyway, we'll get to that. We'll get to that. That is the ending. All right, so Lauren Canorac is an adult amateur dressage writer, and she begins training with Olympic equestrian Michael Barristone at his New Jersey farm called Hawthorne Hill. Her father pays approximately 5,000 per month for training and horse boarding, I believe her father.
Shane
How old is she?
Emily Simpson
She's an adult. Here's the thing. Let me just tell you this. Let's just break this down. As soon as they start interviewing this woman, I disliked her immediately. I don't know how anyone else out there feels. I actually got on Reddit to see if I was the only one that was, like, completely put off by this woman and her personality, and I wasn't.
Shane
Oh, but you were probably the quickest to be turned off by her personality.
Emily Simpson
I don't know. I. I tell you.
Shane
Okay. Why do you not like her?
Emily Simpson
I just immediate. I don't know. I feel like when you listen to someone or you watch someone or you have a conversation with someone, you immediately judge them and you get a sense of whether you like the person or not. The minute she starts talking, I was like, I cannot stand this woman. I think that she. I didn't. I. I just. She sounded. She talks about how people call her entitled, but she's not entitled. Meanwhile, her dad, even though she's an adult is. Is also being interviewed talking about how he pays for her to have her three horses.
Shane
That doesn't mean she's entitled. It's because he's paying for it. If she's demanding it, insisting on it and thinking that she's.
Emily Simpson
Well, they also entitled. Well, they're interviewing her, but they also show clips of her and her boyfriend is also came with her to stay while she's training her h. Horses and writing every day. And she's just bossing the boyfriend around. Rob, get this. Pick this up for me. What are you doing? Rob, get that. Where's the bridal? I mean, it's. They, they were smart to show all the, all the clips of her being demanding and difficult and anyway, so her father pays approximately 5,000amonth for training and horse boarding, which, by the way, I did not think was that expensive. I believe she has three horses there. Well.
Shane
Oh, it's for lessons and boarding.
Emily Simpson
I guess the 5000 is just for her training and for the boarding of the horses. Then she gets to live there for free. So let's go to early of 2019, Lauren and Michael's relationship starts to deteriorate. Lauren reportedly becomes frustrated about limited direct training time with Michael. So Michael Barrison is the main guy, Right. He's the one that's the Olympic rider. He's the one that is the name. But he also has some trainers that are below him. Well, you know, he has a girlfriend named Mary Haskins Gray and then he also has another employee and those two are also trainers too. So I think what he does is he can sell the pitch that you're training with an Olympic trainer, right? Yeah, but then I'm sure, you know, the majority of the time you're training with people that are kind of below him.
Shane
So that's sort of like a lawyer. Right. They're on the billboard and you call them and then they have people that work for them.
Emily Simpson
Like Sweet James.
Shane
Yeah.
Emily Simpson
Like if you ever called Sweet James, he's not going to pick up the phone.
Shane
No.
Emily Simpson
He's not going to answer. Be like, hello?
Shane
Probably not. But that doesn't discredit the firm because it's if, if he's successful and it's his integrity that he's now passing on to other people. So if this trainer is now, you know, guiding these mentees. I don't know if they are, or whatever. Right. On how to train and it's kind of through him, then it's the same thing, you know, foreign.
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Liberty Mutual Advertiser
Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this ad for your morning commute to wake you up, which could help your driving. Science says that stimulating the brain increases alertness. So here's a pop. How many months have 28 days? What gets wetter as it dries? What has keys but can't open? Locks? If you don't want to hear the answers, turn off this Liberty Mutual AD. Now.
Shane
12 months.
Liberty Mutual Advertiser
A towel, piano. Enjoy being fully alert.
Emily Simpson
Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.
Superhuman Podcast Narrator
Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced Games. Some call it grotesque, others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast Superhuman documented it all. Embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.
Shane
Within probably 10 days, I'd put on £10. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth.
Superhuman Podcast Narrator
Listen to Superhuman on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Shane
Blood Trails is a true crime podcast born in the outdoors, where the terrain is unforgiving, the evidence is scarce, and the truth gets buried under brush and silence. I seen something in the road. I instantly thought it was a sleeping bed and there was a pool of blood.
Emily Simpson
Somebody somewhere know something?
Shane
I'm Jordan Sillers. Season 2 is out now with new episodes every Thursday. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Emily Simpson
So Lauren and Michael's employee and his girlfriend at the time, Mary Haskins Gray, do not get along. So Lauren doesn't get along with Michael's girlfriend, which causes even more tension, which also says something. Well, I just, I think as far as I'm concerned, I tell you, since the soon, as soon as she opened her mouth, I don't think she gets along with anyone. So then Lauren begins posting frequently on social media about Michael and his staff. It's. They show. I mean, they show at the end, kind of in the trial. There were thousands and thousands of pages of her posts. This isn't like she just, just degrading him, talking badly about him, talking about going to war with him. I mean, she's insane. She's crazy.
Shane
With her trainer?
Emily Simpson
Yes, with her trainer. So I, I don't know. She used.
Shane
But then she continues to use her trainer.
Emily Simpson
Yes. This is the part that makes no sense to me. So I don't know the exact timeline, but it seems like pretty early on in this, in this contract or however long she's going to be there, she starts getting really irritated. There was also some tension with a horse because Michael Barrison had a very, very expensive horse, like a Grand prix horse that he rode in the Olympics. So you're talking about. I don't know what the horse is worth, but I mean, a lot, a lot of money.
Shane
It's a lot. Yeah.
Emily Simpson
I guess he allowed Lauren to ride the horse one time or something during a lesson. And then she was like, Then she was like, this horse is mine. This horse should be mine. And I, I.
Shane
Entitled. There's your entitled.
Emily Simpson
Right. And then there's like some stalking as far as the horse is concerned. He. He talks about how she would ride the horse when she wasn't allowed to ride the horse. But then I fe. Not only with the girlfriend was there tension, but there was tension building with this very expensive Grand Prix horse that
Shane
anyone at this place.
Emily Simpson
No, that's what I'm saying. I'm telling you, I was not wrong in my initial, my initial thoughts and perception of her as soon as she started talking. Yeah.
Shane
How many people you think say that when they watch your confessionals?
Emily Simpson
I don't know. I don't know.
Shane
The second I saw her, I knew.
Emily Simpson
Thank you. So Lauren begins posting frequently on social media about Michael and his stuff staff. A July 25, 2019 post stated, it's about time to possibly go to war. Anyone who repeatedly kicks a resting beast will eventually wake her up.
Shane
She's the beast.
Emily Simpson
She's the beast. Another post from Lauren stated, I am not responsible for anything my other personalities do when I am threatened. I'm telling you, this is just a small sample.
Shane
That's interesting. That's an interesting defense.
Emily Simpson
Yeah.
Shane
That was not me, your honor. That was my other personality. You don't have jurisdiction over him.
Emily Simpson
Michael claims that her posts on social media were threatening and contributed to stress and fear. So then we get to about mid-2019. First of all, how awkward is this? She lives at his property on. On site and she's training, but while she's training, she's posting, like, horrible, defamatory, threatening type of posts about everyone at this barn.
Shane
I know.
Emily Simpson
It's like all this.
Shane
It's like at night when you're in be. I'm still up awake, and then I get like little. Little dings of like, you know, like, you send me little cute videos. But he would get dings of the other person in the other room bashing him.
Emily Simpson
Right. So that's.
Shane
That's all. That's where it was going.
Emily Simpson
Okay. I never know. When you start telling personal stories, I start to get a little nervous.
Shane
Well, that says something, isn't it?
Emily Simpson
So now we're to mid 2019. Everything is starting to escalate. Both parties are accusing each other of harassment and bullying. Allegedly, Michael is threatening to blackball Lauren the sport. I don't know. She. He makes. She claims that he makes some type of comment about how, like, he.
Shane
He knows people or something.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, like he's been. He's, you know, an Olympic writer and he's very well, you know, within this. This society and that he could, you know, probably. Well, probably.
Shane
Probably just say, look, look at her Twitter account. Look at all the posts. She says, don't deal with her. That's probably enough. How long has this relationship been going on?
Emily Simpson
You know, I don't know. They don't give specifics. Well, first of all, I don't know how long the original contract was. I don't.
Shane
Contract was with the dad up until the end. Whenever this crime occurs.
Emily Simpson
I believe that she was there about a year.
Shane
Okay.
Emily Simpson
But there were multiple. This is the part I also don't understand. And we'll get to this a little bit more. But he. He ends up calling the police on her multiple times. And the police keep saying it's a civil situation, not a criminal one. Basically, like, you all need to figure this out yourself.
Shane
Yeah. Being mean is a civil situation.
Emily Simpson
Right. So the part that I don't understand is why he did not just. Just ask. Give her 30 days notice?
Shane
I don't know. That's why I didn't say. I wonder if, like, the eviction laws are tough or maybe he needed the money.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, I don't. I didn't understand that he. They allude later to like his attorney sending, they call it fake images. Scared of her.
Shane
I mean you have this crazy lady and you're supposed to be Victor and her horses. Yeah, that, I mean that can't be easy.
Emily Simpson
So Lauren starts to report Michael to Safe Sport, which is an independent non profit organization created by Congress to prevent emotional, physical and sexual abuse in the US Olympic and par. Olympic movement. Police are called multiple times by Michael in the days leading up to this incident and they claim there's nothing that they can do to help him. Lauren also contacts emergency services at least once. So you've got Michael calling the police and the police coming, and then you've got Lauren calling this organization called Safe School.
Shane
What's he calling the police for? She's annoying me. I mean she's not.
Emily Simpson
Well, I think he, he makes claims that like at night. I didn't understand this part either, but he makes some claim that at night time he kept calling her a ninj and saying that like at night she was like up in the trees. And I didn't understand that he kept saying at night time she's in the trees and she's a ninja. So I, I don't know, but she's so nutty that I thought maybe how weird is that?
Shane
Like he's in his bedroom and out the window he sees her in a tree.
Emily Simpson
I, I don't know. I was like, is that an analogy to something or is she literally dressed like a ninja, like stalking in a
Shane
tree dress or not? That's impressive.
Emily Simpson
Right? Well, she also secretly recorded a lot of his conversations that he was having with his employees within the office at the barn.
Shane
How did she do that?
Emily Simpson
She slipped some recording device into his office in the barn and was recording a lot of his conversations.
Shane
I think she might be in violation of her rental agreement.
Emily Simpson
You would, you would think so.
Shane
And his civil rights.
Emily Simpson
Right. So then in August 7th of two, we get to 2019, we get to the shooting incident. First of all, I believe what escalates the shooting incident is. So remember how Lauren called Safesport and she was like making accusations against Michael that he was bullying her or whatever. And then she talks about how when she called Safesport, they were asking if there were any minors on the property. She doesn't say what she said. But when this incident occurs, the catalyst really is that CPS shows up at the barn because Michael and she must
Shane
have said there was minors. Are there miners on the property?
Emily Simpson
Yes, because Michael's girlfriend that works for him, that's another writer and also a Trainer at the barn has children which
Shane
live there or pass through there.
Emily Simpson
They live there as well. So obviously that.
Shane
That raised that elevated.
Emily Simpson
Right, the complaint. Exactly. So obviously when Lauren is having these conversations with Safe Sport, she says in her interview that they were asking if there were minors on the property. I doubt that's the way the conversation went. I'm sure Lauren called and said there's minors on the property and who knows what allegations she made. Anyway, CPS ends up showing up at the barn in order to interview Mary about the kids. And so CPS goes into the office with Mary and at this point, I think Michael's like losing his mind with this woman because now, oh, he's probably
Shane
had it with her.
Emily Simpson
He has, he's. It's escalated beyond all the social media bullying attention at the barn.
Shane
You know what he should do?
Emily Simpson
What should he do?
Shane
Kill her.
Emily Simpson
Oh,
Shane
I was being sarcastic. He clearly should not kill her.
Emily Simpson
Well, clearly he should not, but it is a crime. So August 7th of 2019 is the actual shooting incident. Michael confronts Lauren and Rob at the farmhouse they're staying at on his property. Remember I told you they're staying in the farmhouse, but it's a ways from the bar.
Shane
What state are we in again?
Emily Simpson
We're in New Jersey.
Shane
Okay.
Emily Simpson
We're at this beautiful training equestrian facility in New Jersey. I did do wife swap in New Jersey.
Shane
I think it was close to this place. Maybe because you were at a place that's a horse.
Emily Simpson
Yes, but it was not a training facility. Equestrian training facility. No, there was one.
Shane
Grand prix. Horses.
Emily Simpson
No, there was a horse in the backyard and some pigs and. No, one pig. And a lot of chickens and a lot. And some goats.
Shane
All right.
Emily Simpson
Yeah.
Shane
You didn't drive him crazy?
Emily Simpson
Well, he didn't shoot me while I was there. I was only there a week. So there was no incidents. But I don't know if I could. If I stayed a full year, I don't know, he probably.
Shane
There probably would have been an incident, a different story.
Emily Simpson
Right. So Michael confronts Lauren and Rob at the farmhouse. And remember what his state of mind is? CPS has shown up. There's allegations of some type of something.
Shane
I'm only getting five grand a month.
Emily Simpson
He's been dealing with this woman. She's been posting non stop on social media. He's armed with a 9 millimeter handgun that belonged to a friend of his who was visiting at the time. There was another woman there. I believe her name was Ruth and she was a rider.
Shane
She brought her gun as a visitor.
Emily Simpson
Well, here he says during his interview that he knew ruth always had a 9 millimeter handgun. And he says that he asked Ruth, do you have.
Shane
That night she comes for writing lessons and has her. Yeah, she brings her nine millimeter and gun.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, it's a pink gun too, by the way. Also, this is dressage. She writes dressage at this barn. Her name's Ruth, who's an older lady. He claims in the interview that he Knew Ruth has a 9 millimeter that she always carries on her. And he said, do you have your gun? And she said, yes, I guess she always keeps it in her car. And he said, no, don't keep it in your car. You need to put it in the safe in his office.
Shane
Yeah, he need to let me hold it.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. So she takes the gun out of her car, puts it in his safe in his office. So I don't know what you want to do with that fact. If that's premeditation, whatever you want to think.
Shane
Of course it is.
Emily Simpson
Maybe.
Shane
How long had she been going there with her pink gun? And he never once said, put it in the safe.
Emily Simpson
Right. But this time he asked her to put it in the safe. So that's the gun that he uses. So he's armed with the 9 millimeter handgun that belonged to his friend. Lauren Canorac is shot twice in the tr. In the chest. Her boyfriend Rob is shot once. So he shoots both of them. He shoots her twice in the chest. And Rob, despite her injuries, Lauren manages to call 91 1. Police arrive and find Lauren critically injured on the ground. And Rob is actually on top. I don't know. He. He must have shot Rob somewhere. That didn't do much because Rob's the one that's restraining him. He actually manages.
Shane
Yeah, it could very well be struggle
Emily Simpson
with him, get him down to the ground. He's, like, laying on top of him. And then the gun is laying near Michael.
Shane
There's a little bit of a. A wrestling match. And then she goes and calls 91 1.
Emily Simpson
Well, she's laying on the ground, so she must have just had her phone.
Shane
Yeah, but she calls 911 while they're at a wrestling.
Emily Simpson
91 1. Rob, the boyfriend, manages to get on top of. Of Michael and wrestle him down and, like, hold him down, pin him down. And then the guns laying on the ground.
Shane
The pink gun.
Emily Simpson
The pink gun, yes. So police arrive and find Lauren critically injured on the ground. Rob is restraining Michael Barison, and the gun is laying near Michael's hand. August of 2019, we're still here. Lauren is rushed to the hospital and undergoes emergency surgery. She remains in crit and is placed in a coma for four days. She ends up surviving the shooting even though she was shot in the chest. That's pretty amazing to get shot in the chest. I don't know how far away he was when he shot her. I don't know if he was 6ft back or 3ft back or you know, like point blank, like right up to her. I don't know the details of that. I feel like they didn't really go into that. But they do show a body cam footage of when the police arrived and
Shane
what it looked like when everyone, when they arrived.
Emily Simpson
Well, they, when they, when they arrived, they kind of pull him over, over to the side and he's just kind of sitting on the ground and you know, he's all disheveled. And it showed her just in the hospital with tubes and everything and so
Shane
did she go back to posting when she woke up?
Emily Simpson
Yeah, she probably, probably did.
Shane
So I got a lot of material now to post about.
Emily Simpson
Right?
Shane
You thought I was crazy. It's him.
Emily Simpson
So we're still in August of 2019 and Michael is arrested the day after the shooting. He is charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder and weapons related
Shane
charges, namely handling a pink gun.
Emily Simpson
Handling a pink gun. Michael remains in jail for over two years while he awaits trial.
Shane
Dude, that Sucks.
Emily Simpson
This is 2018-2022.
Shane
She drove him so crazy and he made the wrong choice. I'm not defending that at all. That she drove him so crazy and he put up with it and then he just lost it and now his whole life has pivoted for the worse. I mean, that guy's never gonna be Olympics again for one. I mean, not really, but I mean, he's never gonna be able to participate in it in any way. I mean, his whole life has changed.
Emily Simpson
Yeah.
Shane
See what women can do? They can really drive a man crazy.
Emily Simpson
Literally.
Shane
Yeah. I mean, no way am I defending his actions. But he, he had so many choices. Kick her out, cut her off.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, you know, I do know.
Shane
Not shooter.
Emily Simpson
Not shooter. You know, I do remember, I do believe. In her interview she did say that the reason why she was not leaving the property was because she had three horses there and that he had done that. Michael had contacted other equestrian barns or other people within the industry and blacklisted her so that there wasn't anywhere she could take her horse.
Shane
That was dumb of him because he stuck with her.
Emily Simpson
I don't know if I believe that. I Don't know.
Shane
If he had done that, that would have been. Actually, that's so stupid. He wouldn't have done that. He would have sold this lady. He would have been like, oh, she's great. Five grand a month, take her.
Emily Simpson
Right. So I don't know if I believe that. I believe that was an excuse that she used as to why she wasn't.
Shane
Almost like he bullied her. Right. Like, now he wanted me here and he's trapping me and he's bullying me.
Emily Simpson
Well, I think she enjoyed driving this man to just the point of insanity. And she knew she did it and she knew she was doing it. Well, I think she is very entitled. Like we talked about earlier. I think that she wanted to be there. I think she felt like she needed. And her horses were, you know, spectacular and she was going to be an Olympic rider and this is the way she was going to do it and she was going to bully her way through it and she didn't want to leave because I'm telling you, if that was me and I had three horses, I would figure out what to do with my horses. I would. You could figure it out. And she has a dad who's monetarily supporting her lifestyle and her goal.
Shane
She stayed for a reason.
Emily Simpson
Right. Because I think she enjoyed bullying him. I think she took joy out of driving this man to the point of insanity.
Shane
Well, you don't know the J.P. morgan case, do you?
Emily Simpson
No.
Shane
You don't know that J.P. morgan lady?
Emily Simpson
No.
Shane
Last week she. Well, she had a. Like an assistant of some kind. I don't know his title. I think she was pretty high up and he. She had a male assistant and he's alleged that she's been harassing him, abusing him in the workplace, like, sexually or just. But yes. Yeah, like very much. Like these detailed accounts of what she's doing to him and the comments she makes to him. You read it and you're just like, jaw dropping. It's a. And then it turned out it was fake.
Emily Simpson
Oh, he made it up.
Shane
He made it all up.
Emily Simpson
Wow.
Shane
At least that's the story that's going around now. Yeah. And he's. There's. Because I think texts and things have been uncovered to show that it's faked and he's been trying to harass. Do it to other people anyway. But this one was real.
Emily Simpson
Yes.
Shane
This is a lady that really did harass him.
Emily Simpson
Yes, absolutely.
Shane
Because it's unusual for this way, it'd be more likely that he would be dom exercising dominance over her.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
And bullying her and pushing her around. Right. And being the one in control because 1. He's the trainer also.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
And he's an Olympic trainer and it's his property.
Emily Simpson
Right. So the trial lasts approximately three weeks. Michael hires. He doesn't go with the public defender. He. He hires a very well known, expensive defense attorney.
Shane
Again, showing the father had money.
Emily Simpson
No, I'm talking about Michael.
Shane
Oh, yeah, that's right.
Emily Simpson
His name is Michael.
Shane
Oh, good. Good for Michael.
Emily Simpson
Yes, good for Michael. Michael claims he does not remember the shooting. And his defense argues that he was temporarily insane at the time of the incident. So that's what the defense goes with. They're going with.
Shane
He probably was.
Emily Simpson
They're going with insanity. And I don't remember what this.
Shane
She drove him crazy.
Emily Simpson
I don't remember what the statistic was. I think they said it during the documentary. But something like less than 1% cases actually end up where that works. Like the.
Shane
Oh, yeah.
Emily Simpson
Like the defense of insanity is actually.
Shane
I've talked about this before. The battered woman syndrome with. It was the burning. How The Burning bed with Farah Faucet. You don't remember that movie? No, it's like straight to TV movie. Oh, yeah, yeah. Farah Fawcet, based on a true story, though, that she was living with an abusive male. I don't remember if it was the father of her children or not, but she had several children. And he was so abusive towards her and she couldn't get out of the situation.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
Because he would kill her and he would trap her and all these things that she waited for him to come home drunk and then she poured. And he passed out in bed and then she poured gasoline all around him and set it on fire and grabbed the children and left. And then she. She was the, I believe, the first case where it was battered. Windham syndrome defense.
Emily Simpson
Battered woman just.
Shane
Yeah. Syndrome defense. Where it's. It's the only way out. The only way for me to survive with my children was to kill him.
Emily Simpson
Him.
Shane
Like that was my only hope for survival.
Emily Simpson
So what was the outcome?
Shane
What was success for her?
Emily Simpson
Uhhuh.
Shane
And I don't remember. I know it's evolved since then.
Emily Simpson
She must have had wellestablished documentation of all of these.
Shane
I think so, yeah. I mean, I'd have to go back and relive the story and watch it and all, but.
Emily Simpson
Okay, so that's. His defense is temporary.
Shane
And Farah Fawcett.
Emily Simpson
Okay, back to Michael Baron.
Shane
Yeah.
Emily Simpson
He is now on trial and the defense is claiming temporary insanity at the time of the incident.
Shane
It's kind of like that, temporary.
Emily Simpson
Well, it's basically the argument that he's not normally insane.
Shane
I know it's like I'm, I'm, I'm insane during this moment, so don't hold me accountable, but I'm fine now.
Emily Simpson
Well, he wasn't. Here's the thing. This is. I really honestly didn't understand this part. So if anyone has any further information or any other thoughts on this, let me know, because it. So he pleads temporary insanity. They show the court, they, they show the trial. He shows up at the trial looking like a deranged lunatic. I don't know if his defense attorney told him.
Shane
Yeah, he did. Isn't that what they do? Like, they're like, oh, like if it's a female killer, right. They're like, put your, put these reading glasses on, right. Put your hair in a bun.
Emily Simpson
Right?
Shane
Right. Wear a little, you know, collared shirt and button it all the way up.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
So they told him, look like a, look like you're insane.
Emily Simpson
O. So but the thing is, the defense is temporary insanity.
Shane
That's why I don't like it.
Emily Simpson
So it's temporary insanity, meaning that he was only insane in that moment that she drove him to insanity.
Shane
And I could have told you that. Of course he was insane.
Emily Simpson
He's not responsible for his actions because he was temporarily insane when he shot her. Then, you know, two years later, because he's in jail, right. He's waiting his trial.
Shane
Two years later, he still looks insane.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. So I'm saying two years later he shows up for trial and he looks like a deranged lunatic.
Shane
Well, because if he was in a three piece suit and all clean cut, it wouldn't have worked.
Emily Simpson
Okay, so he. Let me just tell you what he looks like. So he shows up in court. His hair is long and disheveled. His eyes are like wide open and he's like shaking,
Shane
convulsing.
Emily Simpson
He's, you know, and he like looks like he doesn't know where he is. And his like, shirt's kind of disheveled. And this is what he looks like the entire time. Like, it, it, it was very theatrical. It was very theatrical.
Shane
What'd she look like?
Emily Simpson
She looked like the same. Entitled.
Shane
What does she look like normally?
Emily Simpson
Well, are you asking me if she's attracted.
Shane
I'm asking you to judge her. Yes. Judge her appearance or describe her appearance?
Emily Simpson
I don't know. I mean, she's young. I, I don't know how old she is. She looks like she's probably in her 30s and she's blonde. And I would say she's okay, so she's, she's.
Shane
Yeah, there's nothing unique about her.
Emily Simpson
It's hard for me because her personality is. Is so horrific. It's hard for me to get past that. To get past that. Yes. All right, so Michael appears to be mentally unstable at the time of his trial.
Shane
How do you look when he wasn't temporarily insane? I mean, did he look like a put together man?
Emily Simpson
Okay, well, in the doc, that's what I mean.
Shane
Like, does he look.
Emily Simpson
So in the documentary, they're interviewing him and he, he looks, he's, he's a
Shane
handsome man, but he's put together together. He has a button down on intelligent.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. He speaks well. He's, you know, his hair's nice. He has a nice outfit on. He, he looks, looks not insane.
Shane
At least not permanently insane.
Emily Simpson
No, he's temporarily insane. Apparently the temporary insanity only lasted for the shooting and then the trial.
Shane
Yeah, I'm afraid you're going to learn from this. You're just gonna complete temporary insanity like every day.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. So Michael appears to be mentally unstable at the time of his trial. Many people believe it was an elaborate performance. You know, obviously his defense attorney, I mean, he has a very expensive, high power defense attorney. I would assume it was at his direction that he. Look, if we're going for a temporary insanity and we want the jury to buy that you were temporarily insane, you need to look insane in court. Like, for the jury to buy it, they have to look at you and think, yeah, you're nuts. And so he shows up to court and he looks, he looks nuts. Yeah, Yeah.
Shane
I overdid it, though.
Emily Simpson
It sounds like I thought it looked strange. But then I also understand, I understand that if he did show up looking well put together with, like you said, an expensive suit and his hair cut and looking like a normal, A normal guy, you know, a well kept, well dressed. Then it's hard for the jury to picture him as insane. So he gave them the visual that they needed. So the prosecution centered on the argument that Michael was sane, deliberate, and acting with clear intent to kill. Again, I'm sure. You know, we talked about the gun. We talked about how he asked Ruth to take the gun out of the car and put it in the safe. He knew where the gun was. He got the gun. He also. It was a long, like I said, from where the gun was at the barn.
Shane
A lot of time to deliberate, right?
Emily Simpson
There's a lot of time. There's Right, A cooling off period. Right.
Shane
A lot of time.
Emily Simpson
That's a time for you to have a gun in hand and then travel to where she is located. And at no point in time did he say, you know what? I probably shouldn't shoot this woman. This isn't the way to solve it. But he didn't. 2022, the verdict comes out. The jury deliberates for four days.
Shane
Wait, how long is he in jail now? This whole time?
Emily Simpson
Well, he was in jail.
Shane
It was two years.
Emily Simpson
Over two years.
Shane
So they didn't release him? He didn't get out on bail or anything?
Emily Simpson
No, he was in jail for over two years awaiting trial. So he was never released on bail.
Shane
Oh, well, then maybe he did look like that because he was in jail for two years.
Emily Simpson
Well, he was in jail for two years.
Shane
No, I know, but I'm saying maybe. Yeah, but he prolonged his insanity.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. I mean, I guess jail could do that to you.
Shane
If I was in jail, I'd probably. My hair would probably be a mess.
Emily Simpson
Yeah, because you wouldn't get your big gulps and you're what? You're in and out. So you would be a mess.
Shane
I wouldn't have you telling me you need a haircut.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
Every day.
Emily Simpson
Exactly. The jury deliberates for four days, and Michael is found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Shane
Wow. That. That verdict is insane.
Emily Simpson
Right? Here's.
Shane
Here's my little play on words.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. Here's the thing.
Shane
Yeah.
Emily Simpson
I. No matter what my disdain is for Lauren, the jury got it wrong. You cannot.
Shane
Well, yeah. So he has no punishment of any kind. He is scot free.
Emily Simpson
Well, because he's found not guilty by reason of insanity, Michael is committed to a psychiatric hospital immediately after the verdict. However, he remained under psychiatric care for one year before being deemed mentally stable and released back into the public. So In November of 2023, he was released from the psychiatric hospital. He's back to his regular life.
Shane
Yeah. He'll never have a regular life.
Emily Simpson
Yeah.
Shane
I mean, would you. Would you want to train with him? No, because you might say the wrong thing.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
And then he will shoot you.
Emily Simpson
I. I think a lot of people at the barn and a lot of people in that equestrian. Yeah. Because I believe when they showed the tr. Showed the verdict, there were a lot of people that were very supportive of him. I think they had known him, they'd known who he was. I think they really did believe that she was so awful that she pushed him to that point, and that normally would have never happened.
Shane
Well, she was doing it online Right.
Emily Simpson
However, you know, the. I don't know. I still am under. I'm still under the belief that even though she was awful and horrible and I believe she harassed him and she did terrible things to him and she was a bully and she was awful, you can't. The jury got it wrong. I mean, he should have been. There should have been some type of punitive. Something punitive for him. You cannot.
Shane
Well, I think his.
Emily Simpson
You can't pick up a gun and shoot someone who might do it again.
Shane
If you're temporarily insane, which I don't know how accurate that is. Right. But let's say someone is temporarily insane. Well, then they can become insane again, man, and shoot someone again.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
Or punch someone in the face and they fall down and crack their head.
Emily Simpson
Right. So on December 15th of 2025, Michael Barrison's status and the u. S. Center for safe sports database was updated to permanently ineligible because of sexual harassment, emotional misconduct, and violating the u. S. Equestrian federation policies and bylaws. Lauren Canorac continues riding horses and remains involved in the sport. She also is still in a relationship with Ro Goodwin. So Michael Barrison's no longer eligible to participate in the olympics. He can't ride in the Olympics anymore.
Shane
But that's an Olympic thing, right?
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
Wait a minute. Does he have a clean record then? No, he has something on his record. Right? Did I miss that part?
Emily Simpson
No, he doesn't. He doesn't.
Shane
Not even the handling of firearms or nothing. He. He had no felonies of any kind on his record.
Emily Simpson
Now, the only thing was that he was. That they talked about was that he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. So I assume he was found not guilty for all.
Shane
Okay, so my question is, what did they base banning him from the Olympics on? Because it might be like, oh, you have a felony, and anyone with a violent felony can't be on, you know, like that. But in this case, what is it?
Emily Simpson
After the trial, what happened was there were two other minors, like females that came forward and said that he had sexually harassed them, and he ends up banned from the sport because of that. But I think there was a lot of people.
Shane
But he probably got highlighted because he was in the media and stuff that made it those. Those girls come out.
Emily Simpson
Well, a lot of people think it was at the direction of Lauren, too, that she possibly was behind that as well, because I think there were a lot of people in the industry, in the equestrian world that knew him and knew him for many years that thought that that was never something that he would have done. And it seemed, I don't know, it's suspect. Right. That all of a sudden.
Shane
Right. She might have, she might have glorified something. Right. They said, oh, yeah, he, he did ask me out on a date once, and then she just pushed it in that direction and got him to report it.
Emily Simpson
Right. So that's, I assume that he. I'm sure he's appealing that, that decision. I'm sure there's some type of appeals process.
Shane
Yeah.
Emily Simpson
So I don't know. I, I don't know how I feel about it. I, I feel like on one hand, I'm. I'm sad for this man because I think she just harassed him to no end.
Shane
He's sad for someone. Doesn't mean what they did was right. But you still.
Emily Simpson
Right. I do. I feel badly for him. I feel badly that he's banned from the sport, that he is the top end.
Shane
He spent two to three years locked up.
Emily Simpson
I feel horrible that he had to endure this woman and her, her, her bullying and harassment and all the things she did and all the things she posted, you know, and as someone that's in the public eye, you know, you couldn't have a thick skin for so long, but it does get to you. I mean, there's so much that you can take and there, there are times when it's overwhelming, you know, especially, you know, you can. And Shane says this to me all the time, you know, what do you care that Judy in Oklahoma said something, you know, nasty about you? But it ends up when there's so many duties in Oklahoma over and over
Shane
and over, you know, it's like if a tree falls in the forest and no one's there to hear it. Doesn't make a sound kind of thing. So it's like if you don't read it, it doesn't exist.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
But you insist on reading it, so it exists.
Emily Simpson
I really don't, though.
Shane
Well, do you know, two weeks ago, remember Storage Wars? I know you've seen that on occasion.
Emily Simpson
I saw someone.
Shane
Yeah, A guy, Daryl Sheets.
Emily Simpson
He.
Shane
He committed suicide because he, he had been bullied online for so long. People were, I don't know, people. Someone at least was taking his name, using his identity, claiming, you know, I don't know, like sexual things and whatever. And a lot of his co workers and colleagues from the show and elsewhere were saying that he had been complaining about it for years, that. That someone's like, you know, attacking him. Right. Directly and indirectly. And it drove him to the point of, you know, he Shot himself.
Emily Simpson
That's awful.
Shane
I mean, 67. He had two young. Well, relatively young boys. They weren't minors, but young. He was like a family. Everyone described him as a family man. All he cared about with his boys and his wife. Like, he didn't really do much more than that. And. But he couldn't take it anymore, even communicating with everyone. And they probably sympathized with him and let reminded him that, no, you're. You're. You're legit. Like, you're okay. Like you're loved you. This doesn't define you. I'm sure they said all these things, things. It didn't matter. He took his own life.
Emily Simpson
Yeah. That's why you have to be really careful. This is my PSA for this episode, and we're going to end it. But a lot of people out there use social media as a way to attack people. And at the end of the day, we're all just humans and moms and dads and we're all just trying to do the best we can. And, you know, it really is. It really is difficult sometimes when you have a lot of people attacking you just because they see something on tv,
Shane
and it's hard, and it's not a license to attack.
Emily Simpson
Right.
Shane
I know I always say you can't judge what you see on the show because that's whole point of the show. You watch it, you have an opinion, you agree, disagree, you know, learn something, you know, whatever it is. But then when they start going personal now, they're just like, you're a horrible human being. And right. In this case, they Daryl Sheets. They took his identity and they use it and they abuse it and they mock him, and it's like, it's not a free for.
Emily Simpson
All right, all right. Well, thank you again for the recommendation. I thought this was a really interesting story. And again, if you want to watch it, it's on Netflix, and it's called the Shooting at Hawthorne Hill. If you have any thoughts or, you know, any more information on it, please DM me. I always like to hear your. Your thoughts on the cases we talk about. Again, thank you so much for listening. Please tell your friends and family. And again, please follow Legally Brunette. And if you're not following us, make sure you do, because all of our episodes go into our Legally Brunette feed. So thank you so much for listening, guys. We appreciate you.
Shane
Thank you.
Emily Simpson
This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Podcast: Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Title: Legally Brunette: The Evil in Equestrianism
Host: Emily Simpson (with Shane)
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Episode Focus: The real-life true crime case at the center of Netflix’s documentary Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill – specifically, the shooting of dressage rider Lauren Canorac by Olympic trainer Michael Barisone, and the toxic equestrian culture that preceded the crime.
This episode dives deep into the bizarre and troubling events at a high-end equestrian facility in New Jersey, highlighting the escalating personal and legal conflict between Olympic trainer Michael Barisone and his student, Lauren Canorac. Emily Simpson and her husband Shane break down the case, exploring equestrian subculture, issues of entitlement and bullying, the criminal trial that ensued, and the surprising legal outcome. The episode is a listener suggestion, which Emily appreciates, and is framed by her own experience in the horse world.
"I know that I don't know how to ride one, and I know that they're very exp... expensive."
– Shane (03:13)
Tension worsens due to lack of direct training with Michael and conflicts with his staff
Lauren posts hundreds of pages of social media rants—often threatening/antagonistic
Notable Quotes:
"A July 25, 2019 post stated, it's about time to possibly go to war. Anyone who repeatedly kicks a resting beast will eventually wake her up."
– Emily quoting Lauren (14:12)
"I am not responsible for anything my other personalities do when I am threatened."
– Emily quoting Lauren (14:16)
Michael claims these posts were threatening and contributed to his stress and fear
"He shoots both of them. He shoots her twice in the chest. And Rob, despite her injuries, Lauren manages to call 911."
– Emily (22:22)
"Michael is found not guilty by reason of insanity."
– Emily (36:30)
"That verdict is insane."
– Shane (36:32)
| Time | Speaker | Quote | |---------|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:21 | Shane | "The cheapest thing about owning a horse is buying a horse." | | 06:51 | Emily | "The minute she starts talking, I was like, I cannot stand this woman." | | 14:12 | Emily (quoting Lauren) | "It's about time to possibly go to war. Anyone who repeatedly kicks a resting beast will eventually wake her up." | | 14:16 | Emily (quoting Lauren) | "I am not responsible for anything my other personalities do when I am threatened." | | 22:22 | Emily | "He shoots both of them. He shoots her twice in the chest..." | | 29:03 | Emily | "...the defense argues that he was temporarily insane at the time..." | | 32:21 | Emily | "His hair is long and disheveled. His eyes are like wide open, and he's like shaking, convulsing..." | | 36:30 | Emily | "Michael is found not guilty by reason of insanity." | | 36:32 | Shane | "That verdict is insane." | | 42:48 | Emily | "A lot of people out there use social media as a way to attack people..." |
The tone is casual, humorous, and at times irreverent, reflective of Emily and Shane’s dynamic. Emily is bluntly opinionated, especially about Lauren’s personality, while Shane interjects with sarcasm and dark humor. The hosts are fascinated by the drama and clear about their biases, but they raise serious points about mental health and justice.
For Listeners:
This episode provides a comprehensive, candid breakdown of a high-profile crime in the equestrian world, blending true crime intrigue with pop-legal commentary and cultural critique. Even if you missed the documentary or case, this podcast delivers all the drama, context, and controversy needed to understand and debate what really happened at Hawthorne Hill.