The Hawthorne Hill Shooting & The Fall of Michael Barisone

The Hawthorne Hill Shooting & The Fall of Michael Barisone

Author: Moms and Mysteries Podcast May 5, 2026 Duration: 56:05
Hawthorne Hill was supposed to be a dream. An elite equestrian facility, an Olympic coach, and a student willing to do whatever it took to make it to the top. But what started as a $5,000 a month training arrangement between dressage legend Michael Barisone and rider Lauren Kanarek turned into one of the most bizarre and violent feuds in equestrian history. The fight over a prized horse named JT, the threatening Facebook posts, the SafeSport complaints, and the 911 calls were all just the buildup. On August 7, 2019, things at Hawthorne Hill came to a head in a way that nobody could have predicted. Michael shot Lauren twice in the chest at point-blank range, and the story only gets stranger from there. We cover the full case, including the trial, the insanity defense, the not guilty verdict, and where things stand today, including a recent Netflix documentary that has reignited the whole debate. Thank you to this week's sponsors! Get prepped for patio season for way less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Every style. Every home. For 50% off your order, head to DailyLook.com and use code MOMS50. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday! Follow us on Instagram: @momsandmysteries Join our Patreon: patreon.com/momsandmysteries Visit our website: momsandmysteries.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between school drop-offs and grocery runs, Mandy and Melissa found a shared obsession with the unanswered questions lurking in the shadows. Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast is the result: a conversation that feels like sitting at a kitchen table with two friends who are deeply curious about the human condition. Their perspective is uniquely grounded, examining each story not just for its shock value, but for the societal threads and personal tragedies that weave it together. You’ll hear them discuss everything from the strangely specific weirdness of a Florida crime to a globally known cold case, always with a blend of empathy and a dash of necessary, dark humor. This isn't a clinical report; it's a twice-weekly deep dive fueled by a lifelong fascination with mysteries, both big and small. The tone is warm, the research is thorough, and the conversation is the kind you get hooked on. New episodes of this true crime podcast arrive every Tuesday and Thursday, ready to be your companion during a commute or while folding laundry. They’ve been asking "how did this happen?" since they were kids, and now they’re pulling up a chair for you to join that ongoing, compelling discussion.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Moms and Mysteries: A True Crime Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Mindi Kassotis: The Navy JAG Murder Mystery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:56
In 2008, Navy JAG officer Mindi Kassotis was brutally murdered and dismembered in her Virginia home. The investigation revealed a tangled web of relationships, military secrets, and a suspect who seemed to have the perfe…
The TikTok Murder Pipeline: When Fame Kills and the Case of D4VD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Thabo Bester: The Facebook Rapist Escape [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Thabo Bester, known as South Africa's "Facebook Rapist," was serving a life sentence when he allegedly died in a prison fire in 2022. But months later, he was discovered alive and living under a new identity—with the hel…
[Florida Files] Dan Markel Part 2: The Adelson Web [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:58
The murder of Florida State University law professor Dan Markel in 2014 seemed like a random act of violence—until investigators uncovered a murder-for-hire plot allegedly orchestrated by his ex-wife's wealthy family. In…
[Florida Files] Dan Markel Part 1: A Professor's Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:36
On July 18, 2014, Florida State University law professor Dan Markel was shot in the head in his own driveway in Tallahassee. What initially appeared to be a random act of violence soon revealed itself to be something far…
[Heist] The Art of the Steal: Passion Crimes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:29
What happens when a thief isn't after cash, but the priceless cultural history locked away in our most secure institutions? This week, we dive into the world of intellectual crimes—a string of baffling thefts motivated b…
[Unsolved] The Real Laura Palmer: Hazel Drew's Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:04
In 1908, the body of 20-year-old Hazel Drew was found floating in a pond in upstate New York. Her mysterious death captivated the nation and remained unsolved for over a century. Decades later, "Twin Peaks" creator David…
False Confessions: When Innocent People Talk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:46
Why would an innocent person confess to a crime they didn't commit? The answer is more complex—and more common—than you might think. Through five shocking cases, we explore the psychological tactics used during interroga…
[Serial Killer] Daniel Printz: The Handyman Serial Killer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:18
Daniel Printz was a trusted handyman in his Florida community—until investigators discovered he was systematically targeting and murdering elderly clients. This case exposes the vulnerability of senior citizens to predat…
The Body Snatcher: Michael Mastromarino- Revisit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:23
Michael Mastromarino was a successful dentist who fell from grace and found a new, horrifying career: stealing body parts from corpses and selling them to unsuspecting medical companies. His illegal tissue-harvesting ope…