NJ Olympian Found Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity: Reports

NEW JERSEY - A former Olympian from New Jersey was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the attempted murder of his former student, according to multiple reports.

Michael Barisone, 57, trained student Lauren Kanarek at his prestigious Barisone Dressage facility in a quiet corner of Long Valley, Patch previously reported. He was charged in 2019 with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly shooting Kanarak twice in the chest, and trying to shoot at her fiance.

On Thursday, Jurors at Morris County Superior Court found Barisone not guilty in the murder attempt of Kanarek, 41. The jury also found him not guilty in the attempted murder of Karanek’s fiance. Barisone was also not found guilty of weapons charges and aggravated assault.

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 fiance rented on Barisone's Hawthorne Farms property, police documents previously revealed, according to a previous Patch report.

Barisone and Kanarak began talking outside of the house to each other before Barisone shot Kanarak at close range in the chest, police documents said.

Barisone also attempted to shoot the fiance, court documents say, but missed and hit the residence instead.

Law and Crime reports that Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn “argued that Barisone did not truly fear for his life.”

NJ.com reports that the jury deliberated for over 17 hours. Barisone is set to be committed civilly and the Anne Klein Forensic Center in Trenton to undergo psychiatric testing, the publication reported.