I think it’s more likely that it is difficult to believe any account given by two unreliable witnesses who have a vendetta. It’s not so much disliking and therefor she deserved it as bringing into question if their version of events is believable. I’ve always been on the no one deserves to be shot train and now I really don’t believe that any of what is being said actually happened. There is no supporting evidence for any of it other than GSR on MB’s hands, IMO that’s not enough to convict no matter who I like or don’t like.
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Ok, someone explain this to me…
He was renovating the house in exchange for board and training (maybe shoes?) on her horses.
She had several horses, in full training. That = $$
Someone, I thought it was RG admitted he only did enough work on the house to equal the cost of training.
So how exactly did MB owe them anything?
And then she tries to add in the horse she bought… Uh you bought a horse. You paid $$, and in exchange you got the horse.
No one owes you anything there. 
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Did anyone notice on day 2 that RG said Barisone as owner could have applied for permits and RG advised him as such. Since RG was outed as working as an unlicensed contractor day 1 of testimony, I surmise that someone advised him to tell that gem.
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It also seemed almost like a tactic to hold them hostage in an unfinished home but I could be reading into the matter.
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In short, RG was speaking to the farrier the morning of the shooting when the farrier told RG that MB had said not to shoe LKs horses. Evidently in front of the farrier, RG text LK to give her the news, and she replied, “Finish the bastard.”
I can’t WAIT to hear from the farrier!
Also, who said, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a (hu)man.” MB needs the outside of a horse. Badly.
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Some general thoughts after this week’s testimony.
Since we can’t see the jury’s reaction it is hard to know how LK & RG 's testimony played to them. We’ve been hearing all the stories for the last 2 1/2 years, so we easily see the giant ass holes, inconsistencies, and lies from both of them. A jury does not have that luxury.
Listening to the 911 audio from the shooting, I can’t quite figure out when the officer shows up - is it the officer yelling at RG to put the dog inside or is there someone else there that RG is talking to?
The description of what went on immediately after the shooting - LK & RG can’t even keep their own stories straight. Are they on the patio, the porch, the steps? How is 5’4" LK jumping up multiple steps to grab 6’4" MB’s arm if they were on the top step?
Why does her clothing have no real stains?
Where is the phone LK broke on MB’s head? I’ve not seen a single broken phone in any of the evidence.
If RG “choked out” MB, why the hell do you not pitch the gun across the yard?
Why did the sheriff’s office appear to do such a poor job collecting evidence from everyone at the scene? Why was RG immediately believed without question?
I actually more believe a self defense argument now that I did before the trial started.
I’m sure more will come to me today, but these are some initial thoughts.
ETA to change phone to gun
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I am not sure the discharge could have happened while MB and RG were wrestling on the ground, unless LK was on the ground with them.
Reason being (as I pointed out in a previous post) that for LK to suffer damage to a lower lobe of her lung from an entrance wound higher up on her body (upper chest/shoulder area), the round would have had to travel vertically down through her body. Which means the muzzle had to have been pointing mostly down along the vertical axis of her body. No one would deliberately place a shot like that, especially if they were “intent on murder.”
So it seems as though she either had to be on the ground with him when the discharge happened or he was standing over her in close proximity and she and he were grappling for the gun and she managed to turn the muzzle downward.
What I am still wrestling with is who had the gun (who brought it to the scene). I am still troubled by her SM taunts about a “missing gun” with her insinuations that it was RC’s.
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A poster said way at the start that MB recruited LK away from her former trainer with words to the effect of “not doing anything for you.”
Per testimony reached deal with father for two horses $2500 each per month. Sold her a what appears to be a very well trained horse with shivers and Cushings for $40,000 with an understanding or misunderstanding that the horse would continue to live with MB for life. She bought another horse that was to be imported and was in shipping and quarantine for most or all of this time. She brought her retired horse over from NC with the understanding or misunderstanding that RG would repair the house and barn for board and training for those two. The first summer, she lived in the house with RG along with VK and JH and working students. MB and MH were in the barn apartment. MB and MH had a relationship since 2015. MB divorce was 2018 I think with partnerships dissolved in 2019 I think. VK did not return to New Jersey in 2019 and googling the internet it appears she established her business early summer or spring of 2019 in Florida. Everything seems ok until late July 2019.
Per testimony from the defense lawyer (which he is not allowed to do but he does it anyway along with repeated attempts to elicit hearsay and asking unclear questions and ignoring court procedure and judge instructions with repeated admonishment from the frustrated judge) MB wanted the work completed faster than the board amount (water damage from ice could be a few thousand to over $100,000 or more damage) and RG testified he was providing more value than the board amount per month. The defense attorney also let RG and LK ramble on and they were able to testify on the complaints and actions MB and MH took to harass them. Not impressed by the defense attorney.
Both RG and LK testified to being former heroine users and formerly addicted to opioids. LK said she had not used while in training. RG said he had a couple of times but not at the facility.
MB told the farrier not to shoe LK’s horses. RG had words with the farrier.
Per LK on this forum, at some point MB presented them with a contract for boarding and living in the house which changed the understood or misunderstood terms.
LK became frustrated and reactive to the difference in the perceived verbal agreements.
The timing is unclear but per LK’s testimony MB at some point texted someone who posted the text on a tweet that he was going to negatively affect LK in the dressage community and he also told MH on texts something about he was going to drive them out of the barn by being mean and bad service. MH called other barns to complain/warn/blackball them. MB called USDF, SafeSport, and other agencies to complain about them. It seemed like this was in the same time period LK was posting trash talk and complaining about MB. No formal eviction procedures were done in accordance with New Jersey laws and procedures though at some point they received a letter from MB’s lawyer telling them to leave.
RG and LK testified they called the township for code violations at the barn and house apparently after learning of a clothes dryer that would not turn off running at night and barn staff not responding to their requests to check because MB had instructed barn staff to not respond to them.
Per the defense attorney and LK’s posts and testimony, MB became dissatisfied with the work on the house sufficing for board for the retired horse and the imported horse and the understanding or misunderstanding of whether or not board was due for the horse she bought from MB. If a discussion of how much was paid for the imported horse and who paid was had, I missed it.
If MB was saving money by hiring an unlicensed contractor, RG, and letting them work off board with a promise of cash for work done more than the board amount with no contract and no delivery date and decided not to honor those terms then RG could not use a mechanics lien etc. because of the 3X amount MB could have gone back after him. Turning in code violations means the township requires those to be corrected by a licensed contractor and presumably pay a lot more is pretty common when dealing with code and contractors. LK testified their apartment just need the smoke alarms rewired which they did.
RG’s and LK’s stories were similar and supported the same events. She admitted to posting really nasty stuff online. They both admitted drug use. They seemed pretty honest, not evading all the hard truths that make them look bad. The basic events of the shooting were similar. MB came. He said he didn’t want a war and asked if they could work it out. RG said no, that MB brought lawyers in and let the lawyers work it out and turned to walk away. LK approached MB. MB started shooting. The defense and MB filed not guilty through insanity and self defense so they have acknowledged MB shot LK twice and shot at RG once.
The doctor testified that LK lost half her blood. Flatlined. They opened her up on her side from the front going under her arm to her back to stop the bleeding. They opened her up on her abdomen that night to allow her swelling to have room because it was stopping her breathing. She was on heavy pain medication for some time after that. Can’t imagine the pain medication/PTSD nightmares
MB’s lawyer has yet to address the insanity and self defense. An outside lawyer stated that New Jersey does have an imperfect defense established by case law where the attempted murder charges could be dropped to manslaughter. That might explain the plea deal and why he is trying so hard to make LK and RG look bad.
It seems like once VK was out of the picture, relationships fell apart. She seems to be quite a remarkable person.
Far from creating code violations, RG could have recognized several, may have suggested correcting them or been in the process of doing so.
If LK is encouraged and supported with the horses to help her get her life back on track by her parents and they thought MB was a safe and professional, it sounds like from JH’s testimony that MB was well on his way to a breakdown behind all the charismatic front at clinics, etc. and this was a terrible place for her to be. I don’t think anyone expected this to happen.
Weirdly, the defense lawyer testified that MB wasn’t happy about RG coming with LK. So MB just wanted single women? That sounds untrue though because RG testified he worked on the barn as well and MB would work with him on the repairs for no pay, just helping out. JH testified that everything was cordial at first and it sounds like it was.
I wish them all well. I feel sorry for MB and how his life has turned out. I am horrified for LK. I am still impressed with RG. He saved everyone. That extra clip could have changed everything.
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Yes. A woman from a nation that had been behind the Iron Curtain for a long time and as I recall, the team did not go to the Olympics. It has been quite some time.
She (the trainer) had been involved in some sort of scandal too. Her boyfriend or husband may have been the person who was most at fault though. Again, it’s been awhile.
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Not to mention her physical development to accurately, properly ride isn’t gained by not riding.
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HOLY GUACAMOLE! So LK still has at least one poster here ready to twist and justify the events of last week to her advantage. Seems some of LK’s fantasy drifted into this post, but whatever.
“I am still impressed by RG. He saved everyone.” This statement says it all.
Edited to ask, was this post written by committee? Sure sounds like it!
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Oh, definitely, RG can’t finish the job, cause then they owe MB for all he does for her horses… So they have to really drag his feet in this work.
Someone testified that there was someone else doing work. They showed pics of the work that RG says he did on the barn, and he mentioned another worker also being involved (this us when he mentions not doing more work than the horses care cost)… I’d lime to hear from that other person doing that Reno work. I bet they heard Or were involved in some interesting conversations.
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Not unless she was bent over at the waist. If that was the case, her entrance wound would be lower than the lower lobe of her lung and allow for the 14 degree upward angle of the only known bullet track.
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I think you mean the gun?
Good question.
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Or RG was holding the gun.
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Oh, I think they’re doing a swell job of that themselves, without too much help from Bilinkas.
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Why do you think that is?
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Isn’t that suppose to begin sometime tomorrow? Someone needs to keep up! Everyone gets a turn!!
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What kind of payment arrangement did LK have with MB when she first started training with him and he was still with his ex-wife and MHG wasn’t around yet?
Was she/her dad just paying a straight board/training fee like his other clients at that point? Using RG’s renovations to barter for board/training didn’t happen til later, right?
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Catching up on a couple days of posts…maybe somebody already said this but:
The expert’s conclusion was that based on the flight path, the gun was fired somewhere along that line between the front of the truck and where the bullet struck the door. He couldn’t determine where along that line it was fired (I believe because it’s not a long enough distance for gravity/bullet drop to substantially affect the bullet’s trajectory). So, it is not accurate to say that the gun was definitely fired from near the front of the truck.
The upward 14-degree angle is consistent with somebody standing on the patio shooting up towards the porch, which is two steps above ground level. The implication is that this was the bullet fired at RG, not one of the ones that hit LK from the area of the bush.
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