FitzE: As of today she is still the victim of a shooting, my point is whether she is hapless or not doesn’t matter. Anyone’s opinion on her character or her posts, including mine, also doesn’t matter, or rather it shouldn’t in a court of law. It is usually not a good move to put the victim on trial. I guess we will find out when and if it goes to court. I don’t like any of the online bashing and bullying, plenty to go around, none of it right. And yes, there were multiple posts on social media that celebrated her getting shot and supported MB for doing it(and likes on those comments) which is different from supporting him as a friend or trying to understand how it got to this point. The whole thing makes the dressage community look very bad, I am concerned that’s how it will be portrayed in the article coming out. Well, the last question in my previous post has been answered. I do thank you for not accusing me of being someone else, attacking me personally or correcting my spelling. I find your comment very well written and intelligent.
Reality is it DOES matter. Everything she did up to the first bullet hitting her body does matter. Just as everything an abuser does to their victim matters. Does it excuse MB’s actions? Of course not, but it sure gives light to WHY it happened. Considering LK is STILL bashing MH, who hasn’t posted one word about her at all, the harassment continues. There is no excuse for it. NONE. LK’s character will play a huge role in this trial for sure, as will MB’s. It ALL makes a difference.
None of us are remotely connected to the legal process involving the shooting here and there is no earthly reason why our interest in the case should be limited to what’s admissable in court. On the other hand the armchair lawyering has been helpful in clearing up points like NJ’s no bail law.
This thread is compelling to many of us on COTH because it is the worst case scenario of the barn psychobitch and boarder from hell. Everyone has at least watched one from a distance, if not had an actual run in with one. And it’s playing out with a trainer who has a national reputation, not in some backyard mudpit.
It is absolutely relevant that LK was a long time known problem in her region, and the personal testimonies, court records, and her posts all demonstrate that.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹The definition of a tragedy in Shakespearean studies is a terrible end befalling someone with prominence and good character, but the terrible end is clearly linked to the aspects of the character traits that made him prominent. Like excess pride or risk taking or stubbornness.
The case from MB’s angle could fit that definition of tragedy. It wouldn’t be tragedy in the same way if MB just got in a car accident. It wouldn’t be tragedy if LK got shot by a lowlife drug dealer because neither has fame
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹or good character.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹Obviously real life is more complicated than a play. But I think we still respond to the outlines of a tragedy with the same desire to understand how this happened. If LK got shot by a drug dealer because she was sending trash messages to his girlfriend, there’d probably be a bit of a snort among people who knew her IRL, but it wouldn’t be a huge COTH thread.
As to how we would each act if our personal barn psychobitches got shot by a national trainer and then proved to the world on social media that they were indeed vindictive and mentally ill?
I think we would probably want to chime in and reinforce that she was a well known problem locally. I bet there’s a number of people following this who knew her IRL who also aren’t saying.
The legal process will usually rend justice and generate some clarity about facts. But the legal process is also a blunt instrument and it does not do the full job of understanding how this happened.
Understanding requires working out a narrative that makes sense of all the details even those irrelevant to court. That’s what a thread like this can do. It’s also what a well written piece of “feature” journalism can do (straight up news story doesn’t do this). I would love to read a “long form” article on all this from an excellent source like the NYT.
Edited to add: the TV crime show dramatizes the process of crime investigation in a way that gives the viewers the full narrative of how things happened. But that’s the job of the scriptwriter. And that’s not how crime investigation really works. Most trials leave everyone emotionally unsatisfied and still asking why did this happen? And feeling like nothing can be made whole again.
I for one appreciate people on this thread getting the word out to the rest of us about LK’s behavior before and after this terrible event. There is always a chance she will end up in another part of the country and some of us in my area have already had run-ins with barn psychos of various sorts, so it’s good to be forewarned about LK.
IF and only IF LK responds to the reporter’s request that LK read the Instagram message she sent.
Aside: I can still easily see a trainer with dollar signs for eyes swooping her up. I’ve seen it before, esp. in H/J. I am sure many of you have seen it as well. Trainer just needs that one, monied client with the good horses for trainer to show. She may be a wild one, but trainer feels s/he can handle this crazy filly!
I have certainly read thoughtful long form journalism and seen documentaries as well where a central figure refused to be interviewed and the article or film proceeded by talking to everyone else associated with the incident and made the point the central figure was staying silent. So the NYT reporter isn’t necessarily stymied if LK or her handlers or her doctor won’t let her speak.
RC. I missed who is RC.
I Personally don’t think she’s monied. I think she acts like she is, and her dad does, but they are probably median level and not monied. She has apparently skipped out on board and trainer’s fees in other situations, and I woulddn’t be surprised if money didn’t play into this somewhere. Where is it said she has money? More than one trainer has wrtten her off.
The person who said she’d celebrate her death is SW from DH, who is effectively a mirror image of LK. Nothing that either of them say can be taken as factual. Both of them are desperately searching for ways to occupy the limelight, however they can, they’re not like normal people.
Can you imagine publicity hound LK not responding to a NYT’s reporter request? :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Even LK’s friends were quoted in the original article by Ms. Nir shortly after the shooting. LK would leap at the chance to tell her story, again and again and again with added emphasis! :winkgrin:
Has she ever had any kind of a career? There was a lottery win but it wasn’t seven figures; that amount won’t last long in the rarified air of that segment of the horse world LK sought to be part of. Someone made the claim that she worked as an escort, but there has been zero evidence to support that allegation. Her dad is a lawyer, yes, but he’s certainly not keeping professional company with the likes of Dershowitz and the late R. Kardashian.
Goodness I made it to the end of the thread. Wow! That’s really all I’ve got. Made sitting in a waiting room go by fast though. Is there any update on the timeline for the trial?
The final charges have not been announced yet (NJ gives the prosecution 90 days to investigate and announce charges). Some say next August/September.
@eggbutt thanks! What an unfortunate situation. I hope everyone impacted by this is doing okay. I don’t know the people involved but this seems to be quite the gordian knott for the horse community.
Next August/September? Yikes, I don’t see how that qualifies as “speedy”. Sitting in jail for a year awaiting trial would be kind of rough on someone who is innocent (which MB isn’t - not saying that at all)
Speedy refers to movement in the case. Every court filing and the prep that has to be done constitutes movement. If literally nothing was happening by attorneys from both sides from his hearing until August/September that would not be a speedy trial. I hope I explained this well. Maybe a resident lawyer could explain it better.
Once the formal and final charges are announced (which can change from what was originally charged), the defense will begin their “real” work of investigating and formulating their defense. This investigation will include all aspects of the parties involved, exactly what happened, why it happened and mount their defense. At the same time, the prosecution will be doing similar activities. It takes time. MB is safer in jail currently than he would be out of jail I suspect with LK’s public hatred and desire to harass him and his fiance.
Nobody deserves to be shot. Here is another example of victim shaming:
Wrong. I don’t even know who she is outside this thread. I responded to posts here about LK harassing her by looking up her name in FB. I can see what anyone who is not her friend on FB can see: loads of repeat posts about dogs with vicious replies under some of them from LK.
ETA: or you can read them copy pasted in this thread which is how I first read them.
