Cases Involving Athletes | "48 Hours" Full Episodes | Forensic Files

[Music] the coold miner's daughter christe Martin Christy Martin was a public figure sports star a
Pioneer she put boxing on the map for females she was on the cover of Sports Illustrated she made millions of dollars
Bo boxing christe was married to Jim Martin uh Jim was a boxing trainer and Jim trained her go take her out there go
take her out for years it was christe and Jim as a team together I think that the marriage
between Jim and chrisy was professionally driven where it first they used each other to both get ahead
page number 2 say the Florida versus James V Mar this is one of the most memorable
cases I had in approximately 5,000 that I handled as a prosecutor it has a little bit of
everything you have drugs there's a sex tape this is one of the most fascinating cases I've ever
been a part of what did you want the jury to know about about this marriage that Jim Martin wasn't a a loving caring
husband Jim's control LED to psychological abuse physical abuse he started to provide her with controlled
substances and would put christe in a very compromised position to where she had to rely on Jim or else her career
would be over Christy had told him that she wanted out of the relationship how did Jim take the news that Christy
wanted out like his world was collapsing how did he take the news that she was seeing someone else horribly but I don't
think anybody truly believes that the person that you've built a life with would all of a sudden turn and want you
dead inside the couple's Orange County home James Martin stabbed his wife with a buck knife four times in the chest and
back he then ultimately gets a firearm he stands over her and shoots her in the chest so Jim pleads not guilty what's
your reaction expected she's the one that had the gun Jim was just trying to defend himself
and they fought over the gun there is not convincing evidence in this case Beyond a reasonable doubt that
Mr Martin intended to kill Christie the way Jim described it Christy was hooked on drugs and she was extremely
aggressive break break break it up he was constantly afraid of physical attacks by
her jury's entering all right it's not every day that the target of a murder ends up living to tell their story on
the stand it's rare at this time the State of Florida calls Christy Martin Christy was the
boxer Jim was the opponent the jury was the audience and the judge was the referee and Christy had always talked
about she wanted to win 50 fights in her life well christe won 49 professional boxing matches in her career that
courtroom was the 50th fight he's taking my head and he's beating it into the where the drawers
are and I said you cannot kill me I told him you cannot kill me and I meant it just like the sun came up this morning I
meant it christe Martin [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] and what was the thought that went
through your mind when you saw the defendant with that knife in the bedroom I said to him are you going to
kill me on April 24th 2012 in this courtroom in Orlando Florida boxing champion Christy Martin boldly faced
down her fiercest opponent yet her ex-husband James Martin the last time you had seen Jim he's
standing over you with a gun you know I thought about it a lot and how am I going to react to being in
the same room with them hundreds of thousands of Court TV viewers watched as a prize fighter known for knocking out
32 opponents testified that her much older and seemingly frail husband had nearly killed her this case Rose and
fell on the credibility of christe and Jim prosecutors Ryan vesio and Deborah Bara were worried that the jury might
have some doubts about the matchup she became famous beating the hell out of people exactly so it's pretty plausible
that she might beat the hell out of her husband absolutely barah says she believed christe's story The Good the
Bad and the Bloody she was very open about her marriage she was very open about everything it was just very much
matter of fact this this is who I am Christy bared it all starting with her childhood in the Tiny Town of itman
West Virginia itman West Virginia is literally 1 mile from welcome to now leaving her Father John suters was a
coal miner as a fighter Christy would brand herself the Coal Miner's Daughter I was always out with my Dad we passed
football we passed baseball I shot basketball she says her dad pushed her to dream big
with one ex excruciating exception her love life when did you first realize you were a
lesbian I think I knew that I was attracted to women fifth or sixth grade did you
confide in anyone no Christy lived a double life and kept her first love a a secret fellow High School athlete 3
years her senior Sher Lusk she went away to college we tried to keep it together
for a while but distance and time and age and it just doesn't work did you ever see circling back with her later in
life um no she says eventually her parents found out that she was gay and could not
accept it so she moved out went to college in Athens West Virginia and started boxing
with no formal training Christy won every amateur fight she entered just you know got hooked I love the sport spotted
by a promoter at one of those contests Christy went [Music] pro a little over a year later
22-year-old Christie was offered formal training with a boxing coach named Jim Martin I walked into the gym thinking
that I was going to meet this guy that you know wanted to train me it was just the opposite the a 47-year-old didn't
think that women belonged in the ring but saw dollar signs he thought and it would be a sideshow but I think I can
get her in position to where we can make some money christe says she just wanted
to box and so she put all of her faith and trust in her new coach how much did Jim Martin know about your past Jim
Martin knew everything about my past I looked at him like this guy's going to be my coach and an athlete and
a coach to have a really good Bond like they have to be able to get in your head
they have to know what makes you tick in order to make you perform just double ja
double ja tell me about when the relationship with Jim went from professional to personal it was a a few
months I was getting a lot of pressure from my family to not be gay it just seemed like it was easy but christe also
had a girlfriend in town that is until Jim found out he said that he had called my dad and my dad told him to just throw
my stuff in the ocean they didn't want me and so I went the next day and married
Jim really yeah because I felt like I had to the couple moved to apka Florida outside Orlando they opened a boxing gym
and worked on christe's Career still living a double life christe was always dressed in pink Jim being very homop
phobic would always tell me at a press conference if I'm fighting some girl that's clearly there with her girlfriend
uh make sure you say something derogatory about her uh sexuality big steroid why did you continue to listen to
him Jim Martin convinced me that the world hated me I'm talking about family friends the boxing
world then her career took off spotted by a trainer who worked for the world famous boxing promoter Don King
Christy became his first female fighter I mean to go to fight in Las Vegas then King's the promoter We going
show you on Friday that's bigger than I could have ever dreamed but that was just the
start is that you that is me dark hair long time ago in 199 6 King featured Christy in a fight on a Pay-Per-View
event headlined by Mike Tyson with tens of millions of people watching christe stole the
show her nose was split open and bloody by the third round but Christie won that
was the most profitable bloody nose in boxing history I mean I'm bleeding everywhere and people are starting to
take notice wow look at this woman she's still fighting and she's winning the fight Christy became the only female
boxer to ever make the cover of Sports Illustrated but with the fame she says came a tightening of Jim's already firm
grip he would always say I'm going to tell the world you're lesbian and for whatever reason you know
I just wasn't strong enough in me to say go ahead I keep thinking of the people who will watch this and say how does a
woman who's so powerful and strong and successful at being aggressive how is she not able to stand
up for herself at home I know that people think that that I I should be strong and tough and all
those things but I didn't have that same type of mental strength to overtake him in 2001 Christy parted ways with Don
King by 2007 her career was on the ropes and according to Christy Jim had spent all of their money feeling that she had
nothing left to live for Christy tried some cocaine that Jim allegedly brought home he
throws a baggie down on the table and he said one of the fighters gave it to him
because he was going to get clean and I let it lay there for a couple days and then finally I was like you know what
might as well just do this and then it just it was every day all day she claims Jim became her supplier
she also says he had hidden cameras around their house documenting her addiction so it was all about blackmail
do you believe that Jim was controll to the extent that he was trying to help her with the drug problem I do Jim
Martin's defense attorney Bill Hancock says if there were tapes of Christy doing drugs they were meant to show her
how aggressive she was when she was high he was a boxing goats not a boxer he was
always in fear of her aggression did you ever beat him did I fight back sometimes
absolutely yeah after 19 years of feeling controlled christe said says she kicked the cocaine and threw in the
towel on the marriage and I told him I said I want out I'm done Christy had already consulted with a divorce
attorney when she says she told Jim there was someone else that high school sweetheart she never thought she'd see
again Sher Lusk when I told him I'm going to see Sherry he said if you leave me I will kill
you and I stopped I turned and I looked at him right in his eyes and told him do
what you have to [Music] do for 20 years he told me that if ever I left he would kill
me Christy Martin says she knew she was signing up for a life or death battle with her husband Jim Martin when she re
United with her high school sweetheart Sher Lusk in November of 2010 so in the days leading up to the attack you saw
Sher several times right yes I told him that I was leaving to go see Sherry and I told him I wanted a divorce the day
before she was stabbed and then shot Christy drove to Daytona to spend the night with Sherry Jim followed her there
and then started texting and calling he said to me that he saw me greet her he also said that he was so close he could
touch [Music] me Jim's trial attorney Bill Hancock says his client admits he was in Daytona
that day but he claims he was there to protect his wife Jim had to intervene one time previously because Christy was
going to Daytona for her drug connection the next day Christy decided to head home I have to go back back and
either live or die because I'm not going to look over my shoulder for the rest of
my life so I had no choice she says Jim was there when she arrived home and so I said my head's
killing me I'm going to lay down just as soon as my head stops hurting I'm going
to go work out she says she was lying on the bed when she heard Jim talking he's
on the phone with people telling him you know that I'm a lesbian and that I've left him for a woman the entire time
he's sharpening a knife if I can hear the knife sound sh sh unable to sleep Christy says she was putting on her
running shoes when Jim walked in and said he had something to show her and then he put his hand behind his back I
like lean around and I see that he has a knife stuck down in his shorts and I said what are you going to
do kill me and it was like bam instantly he stabbed me Bam Bam Bam the fourth stab went through my breast and so I
tried to kick him away from me when I kicked him he cut my calf muscle almost completely from my
leg I'm trying to still fight with him and at this time I can feel he has a gun in his pocket it was this pink 9mm gun
and it belonged to Christie I can't get it away from him he's too strong he gets
the gun out of his pocket and he starts to beat me Bam Bam he's beating my head and Bam just like that the switch
flipped I told him you cannot kill me right then it changed I have to live she says Jim stopped to tend to a cut on his
hand and then she started begging you know I tell him everything I love you I'm sorry you know I've always loved you
I'm pleading for my life don't let me die please don't let me die this is christe being interviewed by
investigators while in the emergency room fighting for her life I get don't let me
die finally I realize he can't let you live he gets the 9mm stands at my feet and I tell him he
don't have the balls to shoot me and he shot me he missed my heart by 3 in I passed
out and he thought I was dead an hour had passed since the stabbing started when christe says she
regained Consciousness heard Jim taking a shower and decided she was not down for the count I picked up the gun
because he had cleaned the gun off laid it down and picked up the car keys with a punctured lung a bullet lodged inches
from her heart and her leg split wide open Christy says she got up and left but I get to the car it's the wrong Keys
there's no way in hell I'm going back in that house she ran into the middle of this road where Rick Cole pulled over
and before I could even say hello she's handed me something through the window it was heavy and she said that's my gun
I'm like okay wait a minute what's really going on here because she's the one with the bloody gun I took the gun
so I could show somebody this is what he shot me with Rick Cole rushed christe to the
emergency room where she was stabilized and then airlifted to a nearby Trauma Center meanwhile Jim had vanished Goes
On The Run prosecutor Ryan IO says it took the police 7 days to find Jim Martin he had been hiding in a friend
shed across the street from the crime scene and with the buck knife used to stab Christie this is what he told the
police guys said that mife on purpose cuz I know Christy's fingerprints got to be on that knife Jim claimed he had
spent the week slipping in and out of a diabetic coma I didn't know how long I was there because I was just out he ran
in the shed to to protect himself he was afraid she was going to continue to come
after him Bill Hancock believes that Jim was the victim not the aggressor I think
chrisy had come home not in a great mood she indicated she was suffering from migraine and Jim went in concerned about
her health and got attacked she jumped up grabbed the knife was laying there I grabbed the knife blade or Str a knife
laid Jim says it was christe who brought out the gun I guess you must reach underneath her pill she come out with
the pink gun so you think they're fighting over the gun right and the gun goes off
yeah Jim was charged with attempted first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty but to claim self-defense he
would have to admit that he stabbed and shot his wife to save himself he comes into the courtroom all Fe like so we
thought okay here we [Music] go a little more than 6 months after nearly bleeding out on her bedroom
floor Christy Martin got back in the boxing ring with Dakota Stone Christy was hoping for her 50th
win there you go down goes Dakota stone for the only time in her career instead the fight was called when
Christy broke her hand in nine places she had to be rushed to the emergency room again and then she had a
stroke I can't walk I can't really talk and I can't see prosecutor Ryan besio was worried would Christy be able to
testify at the trial she is the only live witness to what occurred this entire case completely fell on her
shoulders determined to take that stand Christy approached Physical Therapy like
she was training for the match of her life the fight is on and it's going to be the fight of public opinion in a
courtroom Jim Martin who had been denied bail was doing everything he could to discredit his wife we intercepted a jail
telephone call from Jim to one of his friends that they were trying to Blackmail christe even while Jim was
incarcerated pending trial I got some tapes you know I got some awful dirty dirty tapes at her they were trying to
sell these sex tapes to Media Outlets the tapes never sold but that didn't stop Jim Martin who told the media that
he was the victim I thought thank you I I like it when defendants talk Jim's defense became pretty clear in April
2012 when the trial began and his attorney Bill Hancock set Christy up as the aggressor James Martin was about two
or three weeks away from his 68th birthday christe Martin was 43 years old training for her upcoming boxing match
that was going to begin her comeback in boxing Ryan vesio declared that the evidence
would show Jim Martin had tried to kill his wife We Believe ladies and gentlemen
that this case at its Essence is about a man losing control the prosecution called christe's
friend and hairdresser Dianna gross who testified that she saw Jim be controlling um he would look through her
phone so you would see him actually walk over pick up her phone and go through it
yes Sher Lusk testified about that reportedly terrifying afternoon in Daytona when Jim seemed to be lurking in
the shadows we didn't know what to do it's hard to explain how you're shaking so
bad when you think you're about to get shot the jury saw photos of christe's injuries and heard from the doctors who
saved her life raise your right hand face this young lady to is it fair to classify the lung injury or the chest
injury as a life-threatening or critical injury yes yes that's correct deputy sheriff Todd Moore testified about Jim
going missing for 7 days and said he was found wielding the knife used to stab chrisy forcing Deputy Moore to draw his
gun and give a warning if he didn't drop the knife that I was going to shoot but the main event was clearly
when christe got up on that stand m'am come follow would stand in front of the podium the size of that courtroom is
about the size of a boxing ring raise your right hand face the cour CL can be swor you could feel christe's
intensity she did not stop from staring down Jim with Ryan vesio questioning her
Christy calmly gave her account of the attack you stab me three times under under my left arm she
described Jim's only significant wound that cut on his hand when he s me I think it was one of
the times on the three on my side his hand slid up the knife and it cut his hand but according to Bill Hancock Jim
got that cut while defending himself the only way you can get that cut on your hand is defending against someone who's
wielding the knife but she was cut up one side to the other doesn't mean that he wasn't defending himself Hancock
hammered home that argument in his questions to Christie did you try to shoot Jim Martin no sir but Hancock pointed
out that when police interviewed Christie did you recognize that she asked if Jim was dead do you recall
responding to detective Evans saying you we're pretty sure you heard one gunshot
and then asking if he was dead no sir you okay to still talk for a little bit this is from that police interview
recorded at the emergency room right after the attack can you tell me where he got the gun when Christy was fighting
to survive we're still trying to find them and then there was this detective Evans
says okay what did you try to do and your answer was I tried to shoot him but I was too scared of him pointed a gun at
him and if I missed or something the day after the attack while on painkillers in
a hospital bed Christy told investigators this I got to gun out of his pocket and the P9 mm and and like pointed at
him but then I was scared to I I was scared to shoot did you tell her that I really don't remember christe's in the
hospital a police officer interviews her and she says to him is Jim dead sounds to me like the woman wanted
him dead it's not a good fact to have to deal with on day four the state rested and
now it was Jim's turn to tell his story but the prosecution was worried would the jury believe him would you
give the verdict forms to the court Deputy [Music] [Music] please the state has rested and and Mr
Hancock what's your pleasure sir defense attorney Bill Hancock insists that his client Jim Martin was a loving and
devoted husband I think Jim was trying to work on the marriage I think Christy was trying to create a situation to
where she could proceed with whatever divorce paperwork she was starting Jim claims Christy is the one who was armed
that day with her gun and the knife I know she says he brought it into the room um he's like no she had it and that
bullet that just missed Christy's heart that was an accident Hancock says while wrestling over the gun the fact that
chrisy got shot with her own gun I think bolsters the fact that Jim was just trying to defend himself and they fought
over the gun but remember to tell that story and claim self-defense Jim would have to admit
that he stabbed and shot his wife to save himself Jim is such a control freak and believes
in himself so much that he would think that he could convince anybody of anything but first Hancock tried to
present a different view of the Martin household from friend and neighbor Scott selker did you know your neighbors
Christie and Jim Martin yes I did was there ever times that you witnessed Jim Martin in a controlling manner over
Christy Martin no Selkirk testified that just da before the attack Jim came over
to his house to ask if he could store his gun collection there in seler's Words it was to avoid a hostile
situation had Mr Martin brought his gun collection to your house before yes how many
times probably three Selkirk also said he saw Jim the day of the incident and he seemed fine was he angry or
aggressive no later that evening he says Jim showed up at his door bleeding and what did he tell you that
he had been shot in St and then what did he do he turned and left selker says he
gave Chase but Jim disappeared cross please then it was the state's turn to question selker good
morning sir good morning sir you're actually really good friends with Jim correct I'm good friend J okay and would
you describe your relationship almost like brothers good friends okay barah pointed
out that when police arrived at the crime scene cirk refused to share Jim's cell phone number sir isn't it true that
you said to Sergeant Callahan Jim is my friend and I don't want to get him in any trouble so I'm not going to say
anything I can't recall that sir do you remember being on the phone with somebody else while the police were in
your res and you indicated to the person on the phone I've got some cops out here and
they're acting like heads I probably said that you you remember saying that oh I'm sure I said that okay cirk pushed
back when barah asked about a trail of Jim's blood that led right to selkirk's front door and Beyond sir isn't it true
that the blood went further into your house into your kitchen area no I don't know where you got that barah got that
from a police report and photos of blood found in selkirk's kitchen sir you free to go back to
business thank you sir now the jury didn't hear this but it was selkirk's shed that Jim Martin admits he was in
when he went missing for 7 Days Chris barah to the stand please Hancock's second witness was Chris Gara another
friend who testified that he never saw Jim be aggressive he also said he had Jim over for dinner the night before the
incident and he seemed calm was there anything unusual about Jim that evening when he was at your home for dinner no
Geral was on the stand for only 4 minutes with no cross-examination and then do you have any additional
Witnesses you wish to call it this time hon at this time your friends would arest Hancock surprised everyone and
rested his case after calling just two w wies Jim Martin would not be going toe-to-toe with his ex-wife Ryan and I
looked at each other and we were just like he didn't get it you have a world champion boxer uh who's in much better
physical shape so we thought what is he going to say and it was nothing as we got into the trial I think
Jim became more fearful about testifying and concerned about how his work words would be
twisted I personally think it was just that Jim couldn't bring himself to tell the world that he needed to protect
himself from Christy Martin members of the jury it has been difficult I'm sure in his closing
Hancock reminded the jury that the pink gun belonged to Christie and he insisted
once again that she was the one with the knife whose blood is on the blade James
Martin any contribution or any DNA from Christie Martin no that is nothing more than asking you to speculate Ryan vesio
reminded the jury that the knife was in Jim's possession for 7 days after the incident and he insisted that the
evidence showed Christie never even had a chance to defend herself there's no evidence of a
struggle there's no evidence that this was a an equal force fight did you think a guilty verdict was a given nothing's
ever a given in a courtroom all right after 5 hours of deliberating the jury and the trial of Jim Martin had a
decision members of the jury have you reached verdicts in this case christe says she was worried it was
the first time ever I realized maybe they didn't believe me state of versus James C Martin Verdi as count one the
jury find the defended guilty of the lesson included offense of attempted second degree
murder guilty of attempted murder but not premeditated you have prosecuted for first deegree attempted murder they said
second degree attempted murder did that feel like a loss no I felt that was a a good verdict I knew that he'd be facing
substantial prison time and I knew that would kind of vindicate Christy christe says hearing the word guilty was a huge
relief but insist the verdict was only half right do you think Jim's attack on you was pre meditated
absolutely without a doubt Bill Hancock says he accepts the jury's decision but he also disagrees do you think Jim
Martin is innocent I believe my client nine weeks later at Jim Martin's sentencing why don't you just have a
seat to the right Christy took the witness stand One Last Time judge Thompson Jim threatened my
life for over 20 years she wanted the judge to know that she was still terrified he would also tell me that he
knew people that could quote unquote make me disappear then she turned and called out
the man now convicted of trying to kill her look at me [Music] Jim the entire time I testified I looked
him straight in the eyes and when he would look away from me I would say look at me you shot me with my own
gun basically Point Blank and guess what I walked out on the stand you said that from the stand one time the judge
told me to be quiet and I just kept talking cuz what's he going to do put me and
jaill judge I hope that you'll see fit to sent Jim to the maximum of life in prison as she left the stand Christy had
one more thing she wanted to say to Jim I walked right directly at him and said I hope you burn in
Hill to me it was telling him I don't fear you anymore but Christy didn't get the last
word judge at this time Miss Martin would like to address the court Jim Martin finally took the stand turned to
the judge and once again claimed he was the victim outside the ring I was scared
of Chris christe you know because I never wanted to do anything to make her mad his fear of Christie he said also
explained why he fled the crime scene chrisy was gone I ran through the house looking for her and then I got thinking
Christie's got the gun then Jim Martin apologized but not for attacking his wife I'm very sorry for that day and I
apologize I should have just turned walked off and whatever happened what happened happened I got stabbed I should
have just turned and walked away I never even would have turned her into the police cuz that's not me cuz I loved her
so much do you believe he loved you no he loved what I gave to him I mean the man never had a job that was his
personal ATM Ryan vesio says to this day he remains surprised that Jim never properly claimed self-defense because in
your opinion that would have been the most predictable defense oh it would have been most likely a successful
defense vesio asked the judge to sentence Jim Martin to the maximum life in prison you have any questions Mr
Martin no sir but like the jury the judge pulled his punch and handed down the minimum mandatory sentence 25 years
thank you he mate Jim Martin will serve every single day of those 25 years there is no parole
in Florida the chances are he's probably not going to live the 25 years so was it a life
sentence probably so am I okay with it yes Christy was left to pick up the pieces and while she tries to stay in
shape doctors have recommended no more competing or she may die and going forward so Christy followed in the
footsteps of the legendary Don King and became a boxing promoter this past July in the middle of the pandemic good
evening christe Martin what an exciting night of boxing Christy held a 14 fight event in Daytona
Beach the winner as a fighter I didn't settle and I'm not going to settle as a promoter what's remarkable about
Christie today is getting to see how she's living her her second lease on life and she's able to be who she is
doing what she loves and loving who she wants to love in November 2017 Christy married
fellow boxer and onetime opponent Lisa holne she is uh one of the most genuine human beings I've ever met there is a
sweetness to her that no matter all the awful thing she's been through is still there christe now goes by her maiden
name Salters and advocates for victims of domestic abuse through her nonprofit Christy's Champs she also donates a
portion of her fight proceeds to the cause I think it's a remarkable story because you have a world famous champion
boxer and she could still be in a domestic violence relationship because that isn't about physical strength it's
about mental abuse but you can always survive it Christy says she can now look back and see that she did get that 50th
win just not in the boxing ring finally I've been able to come with to terms with I got the 50th win when I got up
off the floor November 23rd 2010 and got out of my house that was my 50th win christe Martin
[Applause] [Music] 48 hours to miss it would be a crime were you at all prepared for what
happened in this case [Music] [Music] [Music] how significant are horses in your life
they're the most significant thing I don't think they can live without them in my life hi hey good
boy 139 by Michaelis why did she want to ride with Michael everyone wants to ride with
Michael and Champion he was a legend he was the most sought after trainer in the world
everybody wanted to train with Michael barisone he had competed in the Olympics as a riter he had also trained writers
who competed in the Olympics he's a larger than life character he walked the walk and he
talked the talk what did Lauren want from Michael more than anything his undivided
attention she felt like um as a paying customer she should be treated a certain way she wanted to be the star of the
barn I think she became extremely upset when Michael's full attention wasn't focused on
her Mary H Haskins was the one who in her mind was standing in her way of getting to her
goals two women both buying for Michael's attention as one of the best trainers in the world yeah yeah yeah
Michael barisone stuck between two women his love interest and Lauren his love interest and his financial need that he
needed how would you describe Lauren's treatment of Michael on social media [Music]
horrible there were things coming out on social media that were horrific so I think we live in this world now where
your reputation or your career or your identity can be changed like that and uh can be
devastating I remember complete and total panic everybody says I was unglued I was
unglued did you want Lauren canak dead I wanted Lauren can to leave to go away why would I want anyone
dead I i1 operator 32 with the isimportant every man woman has a Breaking Point please help please help
I'm losing a lot of blood your little girl just Indescribable it was horrible she'd flatlined several times we had no
idea whether she was going to live or die did you shoot Lauren Krick I'm told I did pulled it out pointed it boom boom
just like that but I have no recollection of that that event zero [Music] nothing I could not believe in my world
that Michael would do something like this now did you have a plan to destroy Michael
barisone at some point yes none of that is a justification to get shot good morning doctor morning she
drove him crazy she gaslighted him and she drove him over the edge is it possible to actually drive a human crazy
that's exactly what happened Michael barison should be in state prison for the rest of his life
[Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] and our champion Michael we see pictures of you at the
Olympics looking like a king and then we see you in the courtroom looking like a
defeated man yep how do you reconcile those two images I am a defeated man 58-year-old Michael barisone spent a
lifetime standing proud in The Winner Circle but come spring 2022 he was in a Morristown New Jersey courtroom he
claimed the time of the shooting he temporarily lost his mind he knew what he was doing when he loaded bullets into
the gun prosecutor Christopher shellhorn made the case that barisone was sane that he knew exactly what he was doing
when he took that pistol and tried to kill one of his own riding students Lauren Shay canak he pulled out a gun
and shot me once twice directly in the chest yet with the help of emergency surgery Lauren survived can you imagine
a life without these beautiful animals no no chance see it is a sensational trial with
Lauren herself Accused by the defense of deliberately driving barisone insane she
did the worst thing any human being could do to another human be an international superstar in the
equestrian sport of Dr she was the person that was shot and almost lost her life that day Michael
barisone charged with two counts of attempted murder facing 80 years she sees his hand come up and then just boom
boom in court the once Regal Rider appeared as a disheveled shadow of his former self it is as far a fall from
grace as his Elite Sport has ever seen as he awaited judgment his fellow Olympians rallied around him for you to
see him like that how did it feel it's hot but we're going to get him back now 77 years old in 1992 Michael Poland took
home a medal from Barcelona you want a bronze at the Olympics yes ma'am I love Michael when he was 11 very
energetic IC and um very intense to learn were you like a father figure to him I was his
mentor it's rare to find a young man with that energy and that desire but Michael boy he hung on to it tough he he
wanted [Music] it Philip Dutton is a two-time Olympic gold medalist one of the best in the
world you got the feeling that if you were on Michael's team you know he was going to back you all the
way and then there's Olympian Boyd Martin he recalls first meeting Michael had a big cowboy hat on that was sort of
marching around and yelling and you're like who the hell's that guy you know and and someone said oh it's Michael
barisone he was passionate he was loud but he was a big teddy bear too barisone knew he was a good writer by CIA Jersey
he also knew he was an even better coach and as a coach having someone that's got
a track record that's been there and done it it's a wonderful thing the demand for barisone allowed him to
acquire two magnificent Farms to accommodate a sport Rich enough to chase the seasons 45 minutes outside of Palm Beach
lockah hatche Florida is Baron's winter headquarters Michael's Larger than Life while he is that he's also so down to
earth Jordan Osborne her mother Lara Chelsea Westra and their horses too have all been coached by
barisone in a sport that's all about discipline and restraint control mhm a lot of control disa's dreams also
brought all three women here the jewel in their Champions Crown 53 Acres of prime New Jersey Horse Country an
equestrian Paradise Michael Baris called it Hawthorne [Music] Hill you had dozens of horses these
beautiful Rolling Green Pastures an outdoor Arena a huge beautiful indoor arena Barn was
huge and come 2019 Jordan and Chelsea had become working students living above the barn 24/7 taking care of the horses
in exchange for lessons from an Olympian yeah that that is the dream you know to train with someone who is one of
the best in the world come come good boy Lauren canak had her own rage dreams of becoming a
champion see it's good to Bow your head and they know that you mean them no harm
at 37 Lauren knew exactly what she needed and wanted in Seeking a top trainer what were you looking for
in Seeking a top trainer I'm looking for somebody who I think's going to push me
someone who has been there and done that we have Michael barison at s it seemed to describe Michael barison to a tea so
Lauren made her way to Hawthorne Hill hoping barisone was the one there's a million different reasons or things that
could make a trainer relationship work or not work but few could imagine how barisone and canak would assume clash
and crash and [Music] burn I'm losing a lot of BL where where are you [Music] it is their love for horses that led
canak and barison paths to cross it would twist into a road to ruin something neither could have imagined
when each first climbed into a saddle tell me about Lauren canak the little girl who fell in love with horses
it all started at a barn we met up with Lauren at a small horse farm in Wellington Florida how old were you
probably two or three when I first saw or got like rode a horse or got and I like never stop thinking about them
after that basically that was it that was it I did have a little girl dreaming of a pony and her love for horses and
riding began y Lauren's father retired Wall Street Attorney John canak took fast note of his daughter's
determination Lauren really wanted to do this I always knew I was going to get my
own horse and at the end of high school you know one day I was just like this is
happening what was that like that was amazing the first of the many dreams which came true it is a fairy tale but
with it comes great responsibility cuz you have your horse to take care of Lauren took the reins and headed
towards the ballet movements of d d means training in French it's dancing with horses it's about Harmony John
wasn't quite sure what dancing horses was all about well my experience with horses you know was wind play show you
know at the at Belmont as Lauren won her first amateur ribbons Dr Superstar barisone was a spokesman for the sport
Michael thank you so much for having me even educating a beused Steven coar now is this how you start it you just pull
this like a lawn mower all right lean back not too much The Tiara is yours woo do you think you've gotten to that
point where you are the best Rider you can be definitely not March 2018 The Olympian was hosting a clinic for
respiring Riders at his Florida horse farm Lauren signed up and while she was there Michael barisone approached her
apparently saw that maybe she had some aptitude and asked her to come and train with him at that
point cutor Christopher shellhorn and defense lawyers Ed binkis and Chris dininger would eventually become
adversaries immersed in the lives of barisone and canak why did she want to ride with Michael everyone wants to ride
with Michael so she decided to have her horses boarded at his farm and decided to go and train with him barison said no
we can go places come up and you know leave yourself in my hands it was an offer that couldn't be refused the range
was $5,000 a month she had two horses in training at that point in time Michael barisone agreed to speak
with 48 hours with the support of his attorneys on the day we talked with him he appeared calm while he says he has no
memory of the crime he does remember the events leading up to it at Hawthorne Hill this was my life that was my home I
built that from scratch that was a labor of love barisone provided housing there
for Lauren canak and her boyfriend Rob Goodwin I said all right as long as when they're in training I'll throw in an
apartment that seems very generous we all have bills to pay overnight Lauren wasn't just
training with barisone she and Rob were living with him and that was different than any other Arrangement that he had
with anyone else the apartment was in the white farmhouse that barisone shared with his assistant trainers Justin
Harden and Mary H Haskins gray a respected Grand Pre writer and divorced mother of two we lived together she was
my partner I thought we were going to have a life together she was Michael's girlfriend
and the assistant trainer at the barn Mary had two young children MH that lived there with her and with Michael at
times yes how was Michael's relationship with Mary's young kids he loved them yeah he adored them and they really
adored him it all must have given Lauren Great Expectations the child who dreamed
of a pony now the student of a Dr Master she was even posting pictures on her Facebook of her and Michael barisone I
knew at least this could work out for a time and be good so why not try it out and it was supposed to be a great
relationship and was for a long time barisone found that Lauren could be demanding still nothing unusual we all
have difficult clients they're not all going to be easy relationships you know there say like go as far as you can see
and then you can see farther and that's kind of what I live by like I will challenge myself every single day Lauren
canak was comfortable talking about her horses and riding but she chose not to speak with 48 Hours about Michael
barisone and all that happened at Hawthorne Hill but Jordan Lara and Chelsea Say by
summer tension set in and that it started with those expectations about the degree of attention the student
would get from the master was part of the deal that Lauren would train exclusively with Michael that was you
know Lauren's understanding when everyone wants to be trained by the name on the door The Olympian yep exactly
just because we need to set the record straight here I never exclusively trained any of my clients you are
trained by this community that means Justin Harden it means Mary H Haskins it means me and it's understood that the
head trainer will help you sometimes the assistant trainers will help you other times I think she became extremely upset
when Michael's full attention wasn't focused on her Mary H Haskins was the one who in
her mind was standing in her way of getting to her goals two women both buying for Michael's attention as one of
the best trainers in the world yeah yeah the Tranquility of Hawthorne Hill was on track to being
shattered it just happened so fast it was sort of a very cold war until August 1st it became a a hot war is a war and
it's going to be dealt with right now I've had enough of these people I need them gone
[Music] come come H how important is trust in your relationship with your horses it's
really important canak barisone and his staff had the trust of their horses but over summer 2019 all human trust began
to fray and would soon rip apart the fact that they were all around one another almost 24/7 and definitely put
some stresses on those relationships how was Lauren's relationship with Mary I think it was very uh strained while a
top trainer Mary has Haskins gray wasn't the Olympic champion Lauren felt she had
signed up for so a trainer needs to be someone that you can trust and has the best intentions for
you it was a different kind of competition with Lauren and Mary H Haskins at the center of the contest
jealousy and not romantic uh you know just didn't like Michael giving his attention she wanted to be the best and
didn't want anyone else in her way I mean Michael barisone is is the best and maybe she was hoping some of that would
rub off on her I almost it feel as though there was some level of obsessiveness there with her interest in
Michael but Baron's time wasn't the only issue there was that $5,000 the cans were paying him every month michaelo
wanted his money and he wanted to keep his girlfriend he had a problem Lauren was upset and wasn't going to be quiet
at what point does social media become an element to The Strain in this relationship probably sometime in July
of 2019 elaborate Lauren was very active on Facebook Lauren launched her online offensive she began by creating a dark
Hawthorne Hill Universe based on a chess board Michael bar the King has been captured and killed
Mary H Haskins the queen must be sacrificed to protect the castle our heads can't comprehend what she was
thinking two weeks later her post grew ominous anyone who repeatedly kicks a resting Beast will eventually wake her
up there was a Fear Factor building she was using it to terrify Michael she says
it's war I've declared war on them the war raged on Lauren told her father she was concerned about her horse's safety I
mean they're the reason I wake up in the morning literally there also the reason
I can't sleep at night literally she claimed that her animals were not being treated properly Lauren told me that her
horses are being misfed know they were just making things uh you know very difficult for her you know abusing the
horses not feeding the horses overfeeding the horses none of that was true barison supporters count her it was
Lauren violating Barn rules she just went in the barn was in the middle of the night there were rumors of that she
was going to do stuff to the horses and come in in the middle of the night but according to Lauren one of her horses
needed special care then came a disturbing Discovery and it had nothing to do with horses when did you first
learn about the recording devices Lauren put in the barn about mid July we started hearing rumors and start Ed
talking Lauren and her boyfriend Rob Goodwin had hidden small voice recorders at Hawthorne Hill Lauren said she was
making recordings because she was fearful of barison Staff what do you think Lauren was listening for anything
to help her in whatever plan she had to destroy him Cana took to Facebook and came for Baron's career she branded him
racist homophobic and anti anti-semitic allegations barisone passionately denies
but that could get him banned from the sport there were things coming out on social media that were horrific it shook
him to the Bone the damage was done were the comments on social media by Lauren impacting Michael's reputation in the
equestrian world yes absolutely absolutely so I think we live in this world now where your reputation
or your career or your identity can be changed like that and uh can be devastating the champion made his name
facing down all challenges in the saddle but he says this Onslaught from Lauren canak overwhelmed him but have somebody
attack me or somebody um hurt me and I crumble I fall apart I run from confrontation Lauren claimed it was just
the opposite Lauren posted saying a 63 man was bullying her and she was fearful for her life did you ever see Michael
Bully Lauren of course threat Lauren no no never never Michael barison I would stake my life and everything I got
family and everything barison says he felt unsafe in his own home he says living under the same roof as Lauren and
Rob became impossible barisone and H Haskins moved out of The Farmhouse her daughter was away at camp now her son
was sent back to his dad and I had to hug him and kiss him and said buddy I love you you're my favorite guy in the
whole world but I have to send you home it's not safe we fled we moved a quar mile from
the house to The Stables after welcoming Lauren canak here to Hawthorne Hill it now seemed Michael barisone wanted
nothing more from her than to pack up take her boyfriend and horses and leave his farm why didn't Lauren just leave
Michael never asked Lauren to leave did you ask Lauren to leave many times and she said
refused many many many many times and eventually you call 911 yes now1 361 with the address of emergency July 31st
2019 at 900 p.m. Michael barisone makes what would be his first of four calls to
police The Olympian pleaded for help they have chased us out of our house and I need this deal with tonight did you
notice Michael's demeanor start to change oh absolutely he was spiraling out of control and this barisone had a
pistol a pink and black 9mm handgun that belong to one of his clients the gun was
locked up in a safe in his office his choice to get a gun a pink and black 9mm handgun to point that gun at Lauren and
pull the trigger twice [Music] Michael barisone says his paradise had turned to hell and I walked outside and
around that building all night every night in the dark I never stopped chaos replaced control he wasn't sleeping he
wasn't eating you could hear it in his voice he was cracking Lauren canak kept up her online attack you were scared
yeah of course scared for your life wife at times again Lauren took to Facebook everyone should be worried I'm not
responsible for anything my other personalities do when they're threatened they're nuts they're stalking us they're
harassing us and again barison took online threats seriously and turned to police we are in fear for our lives
local cops headed over but may have seen it all as nothing more than a landlord tenant dispute when you learned that 911
calls were being made by Michael barisone regarding your daughter what are you thinking I'm thinking barison
was making you know bogus 911 calls but there was nothing bogus about what went down as the sun came up August 7th
Lauren posted all my moves against them have been planned for months everything I've done to them so far has been
Child's Play the war was about to get very ugly what put Michael over the edge I mean we can't say for sure my guess is
CPS coming and I remember a minivan driving in and that was the lady from Child Protective Services it was a casew
worker from the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and she said I need to see Miss gray and I yelled for
Mary H Haskins I said she needs to talk to you they're going to take the kids how did Child Protective Services end up
at the farm child protective Services was contacted by safe sport safe sport is a watchdog group authorized by
Congress dedicated to ending sexual and other abuse in sports and Lauren had filed a complaint with them Lauren K had
made a report to Safe sport about some of the bullying that she was experiencing by Michael barisone and by
Mary H Haskins gray and how do you destroy someone in that Community safe sport this is Lauren's complaint she
alleged barisone was being a bull and body shaming her the safe sport for asked does this report involve
allegations or concerns of child abuse or child sexual abuse Lauren said yes she said the abuse was verbal not
physical the breaking point is when Child Services show up the case worker was there to check on the welfare of
Mary H Haskins two children but by now both were gone from Hawthorne Hill nothing worse than being accused of
Haring a child the worst thing that anyone could ever be accused of did you ever see any sign that Michael in any
way abused Mary's kids no absolutely not he loved them and they really adored him
have you ever seen any evidence that Michael barisone abused or neglected Mary's children or any children I don't
think there's any direct evidence was brought out uh of that but the suggestion of possible child sexual
abuse was too much for the Olympian to Bear he jumped to the conclusion that they were to investigate him for sexual
abuse he acted emotionally and decided that he was going to get the gun and end it by killing Lauren canak there's not
much worse than being accused of harming a child perhaps being shot Mary H Haskins and the case worker were in
Baron's office do you remember going to get a gun at any point no I remember going in my office was the
gun in your office in a safe yes barisone interrupted the meeting with the social worker he kissed Mary he
asked them both to wait outside then he opened his safe took that gun and went out the door Michael barisone headed
down to the white farmhouse exactly what happened next remains unclear but at 213
that same day in canat called 911 gasping for air I've been the Lauren was fighting for her life her
boyfriend Rob Goodwin struggled to subdue Michael [Music] barisone in the chaos Lauren and Rob's
dog attacked barisone there were two men on top of each other and a woman shot twice in the upper left chest and in the
hand Corporal Derek heer had driven alone straight into an active crime scene I rolled Mr barison over and there
was a gun next to his left hand what kind of gun it was a Ruger 9mm Ruger handgun the cop grabbed the gun and
tended to Lauren she was pretty pale almost gray canak bleeding out got the first ambulance barisone beaten by
Goodwin and cuffed by himer came next the horsemen whispered five words that said everything I had a good life he
repeated that a couple of times the war at Hawthorne Hill was done Lauren canak was struggling for her life they didn't
know if she had brain damage they said we put her in a medically induced coma she had tubes in her all over the place
the next day Michael barisone was charged with two counts of attempted murder he's never been a violent person
I said to the cops in my statement that night she broke his brain and she absolutely did what was your reaction I
cried I remember waking up in a hospital bed and I remember pulling to move out of it and my hand was handcuffed to the
rail that detail he recalls but again verason says he does not remember shooting Lauren canar
nothing nothing I don't have any recollection of that nothing I don't know what happened sis State versus
barison nearly 3 years of legal maneuvering would come to an end March 2022 Christopher sh on beh of the state
Edward link appearing out on behalf of Michael fisel he was Furious he was frustrated and he most certainly knew
what he was doing was wrong when he tried to kill them help I fear for my life those are the
cries for help from Michael barisone those cries fell on deaf ears soon the jury would hear from Lauren and
she wanted to remind them that she was the victim I was in a coma for 4 days in the ICU for 3 weeks unable to speak cuz
I had a ventilator shut down my throat like my life was almost ended binkis and dining are set a rare strategy Michael
barisone was temporarily insane an insanity defense is not one we hear every day they hardly ever worked you
took a risk yep I took a huge risk I have had a number of insanity defense cases in my career did
you win them this was the first one that went to trial Michael barisone needed to sell
Hawthorne Hill his relationship with Mary H Haskins ended do you s the testimony
that be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth yes ma'am but she testified that the summer of 2019 was
his time of Terror he continued to become more and more fearful um to unravel to be in panic sheer
Panic as for Baron's relationship with her children Child Protective Services reported no issues and Haskins was EMP
atic he was wonderful to my children did Michael barisone love your son very much do you swear in the presence of
almighty God that shall be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth I
do Mr Martin have a seat the Olympians Barone had trained now stood by his side you know I love the guy he was
instrumental on helping me get to my first Olympic Games and great mentor coach competitor the lawyer's
Battleground became bar 's brain in my mind I wanted him examined by a a topnotch forensic
psychiatrist how'd he do doctors Steven simmering and Charles Hassen spent hours
examining barisone why did he do it she drove him crazy she gaslighted him and she drove
him over the edge did you have a plan to destroy Michael barison at some point yes she played with his
reality and she enjoyed playing with him toying with him and he cracked under that
pressure have your breaking point you don't take a gun and try and kill two people shellhorn had his own strategy
and his own forensic psychologist Jud the state will call Dr loose leser hi doctor good afternoon
taking a bead on barisone his it and his story he claimed that he doesn't have memory only for the criminal behavior
only for the CRI his memory for everything else is excellent are you kidding that's a red flag because Dr
Lewis linger didn't buy that Baron's mind short circuited so what does he not remember getting the gun loading the gun
driving to where Lauren was the only thing you don't remember is the criminal Behavior why why is
that Robert Goodwin hit him on the head which is probably the most likely reason
that he lost memory Lauren testified she felt she had been lied to prevented by barisone from
reaching her lifelong Dr Dream Baron's legal team says her frustration fed her appetite for Revenge you wanted to ruin
his business correct I think finally yeah that was in my mind and according to Goodwin if Lauren
did want things resolved peacefully she never got a final chance she didn't get the same much to Michael before he
pulled up the gun he wasn't there for a conversation he was there to kill us at the center of this Arena sat
barisone silent teary ragged he looked very different at the time of trial than he did at any other point before that it
was a joke you know they had him you know ready for the insanity defense after two weeks the lawyers
rested four tense days pass with regard to count one attempted murder of Lauren canak what is your
verdict Not Guilty by reason of insanity not guilty him crumbling and falling into my arms I
feel emotional just talking about it there is nothing greater in life than that Fe that feeling it's unfathomable
how satisfying it is when it goes the right way and you win it's a great day in the legal system today Michael
barisol Not Guilty by reason of insanity what does Not Guilty by reason of insanity mean it means he's not
responsible for his conduct the jury ruled that at the time of the incident Michael barisone was
insane they were not charged with deciphering the distressed man sitting before them what was Lauren's reaction
to the verdict shocked dismayed couldn't believe it Lauren is the victim in this
story has that been lost no I think so unfortunately that's uh that's been lost people in the sport
think Michael barisone has been Vindicated she drove Michael barisone crazy who does that to another
individual you know Michael barisone is a is a victim when we spoke with barisone it was just hours after the
verdict Mr no longer looking at 80 years in prison he seemed a different person he
had just checked in with the nurse and she said how are you and I said well interestingly enough it's probably the
best day of my life you know and our chion then the Fallen Horsemen turned reflective I'm I'm lost I'm shipped
without a Rudder the world I knew isn't any longer there so I have to rebuild a new
world and within weeks after the verdict barisone was transferred to a psychiatric
hospital Michael barisone supporters hope they will soon get the chance to welcome him home when you think about
the day he might walk back in here how do you envision that a lot of Tears yeah a lot of tears from everyone
they'll be happy to see him absolutely horses are great healers at some point your relationship
with Michael changed yes it did across the walls of a jail Lara Osborne and Michael barison became a couple you
couldn't go on a date no no certainly couldn't go on a date hopefully that will change
soon have you learned anything about your daughter through all of this she's even tougher than I thought it it is a
miracle where will we see Lauren canak in 10 years hopefully still on a horse while
51 years old and hopefully I'll have a lot more horses I want everyone in this whole thing to
go on and have beautiful lives everyone I only want everyone to do well with the dreams that they
have 48 hours to miss it would be a crime were you at all prepared for what happened happened in this case
[Music] [Applause] that day was full of laughs we got there the energy was great my whole family was
there I think I made all the games and homecoming we were all we were all there we had driven up and we were there to
see the game DJ he was my shadow he and I were together all the time my family's
uh really close really close always been really close we are like a um our own little Universe the five of us dad
called him DJ mom would call him Danny Danny always he was uh the surrogate dad to his siblings they looked up to him I
struggled with math as a high school student and he'd be the first one to sit down and be like okay well let's figure
it out he um was oh my gosh a joy a pi Piper in the neighborhood all of the kids loved him
the biggest smile you've ever seen and a very gentle spirit [Music] we had driven up there the same day
watched the game hung out and then drove back home so very early in the morning I was
startled awake and I said to Angela someone is at the door it was uh two police officers they said Mr Henry your
son has been in an accident he handed me a a slip of paper and said you need to call this
number the nurse on the phone said are you Mrs Henry I said yes I heard my son was in an accident and I kept saying
well what happened what happened and she said he was shot and I said who would shoot him I I
can't I can't understand who would shoot him the nurse gave the phone to the one
of the attending physicians who got on the phone and said he died I remember just falling to my knees DJ
Henry was a 20-year-old Pace University junr back in October of 2010 when he was
fatally shot in his car I heard what sound like firefighters and I heard a car Screech I didn't think
anything of it homecoming someone's probably have fireworks last thing I thought about was what ended up being
the case everybody wasn't buying the original story it immediately didn't fit together so I had suspicions from day
one people believed fervently that they knew what happened and whenever you hear
of a a case like this you can't believe First Impressions something really significant
happened in this car do you keep evidence from every case that you handle this was an unusual situation I needed
it to be here so perhaps a day like today would come when we could tell the story what really happened
[Applause] [Music] here I never thought in a million years it would turn out the way it did we
don't need some version of the story that protects one side of the other our whole goal was to just get the
[Music] [Music] truth it was in the early morning of October 17th 2010 it was early uh it was after the
Midnight Hour the serenity of Dan and Angela Henry's Home in eastn Massachusetts was shattered with the
unfathomable news that their eldest son DJ had been shot to death and I think they heard me scream that he died and
came back down and I just remember laying on the floor crying and Kyle came over and stood over
me and he just grabbed my shoulders and he said mom look at me it's going to be okay their younger son Kyle we just
rushed out of the house I don't even remember if we locked anything up uh I didn't even have shoes on the drive from
Easton to the Westchester County Medical Center in New York was over 3 hours we didn't want him there by himself and so
we we prayed all the way what was it like when you got to the hospital as soon as we saw him
we all just screamed and cried and Dan grabbed him and just held him and talked to him prayed with him
told him that we loved him to see your brother the person you grew up with my whole life has been with him and then
you see this person lifeless it was the most horrifying thing I've ever seen in my
life he had scrapes and scratches and cuts that he didn't have I just couldn't believe it
the Henry's daughter Amber got to the hospital later so my mom came out of the doors she said um I need to come take
you to say goodbye it was definitely a moment I I knew I knew right there that my life was going to
change the life that Henry's built was an American Dream Dan an Ivy League graduate enjoyed a successful career as
a human resources executive his wife Angela made the choice to stay home with their three children so we knew right
away that we wanted to to work as hard as we could to provide for our children a stable home two parents Amber a recent
college graduate is the youngest we are so full of love and we just want the best for each and everyone of
us Kyle an independent music artist is in the middle always had each other's backs always been
very strong in each other's lives in the cafeteria right now the cafeteria Danny
a handsome student athlete was the oldest when he played Sports there was inevitably another Dan or Danny and so
Dan started calling him DJ DJ embraced his family so much that it inspired him to get a tattoo was first tattoo was
family first I looked down and saw what he did and said oh that was that was well
played the kid DJ he's an amazing kid he wasn't perfect but man was he a good guy
with immense promise so what happened how did the Henry's end up in a hospital crying over
their 20-year-old son's body Dan called the police investigator in charge and was floored by what he was told so he
said DJ was trying to run over two police officers and that they had to shoot him to stop him the Henry's were
dumbfounded they knew DJ was out celebrating with friends after homecoming but they could not imagine
their son running down police with his car something had to have happened if that happened like what caused him to do
something that's so outside of his character and Brandon affirmed for us that he didn't Brandon Cox DJ's best
friend was also at the hospital Brandon came in and sat down next to Danny's bed
and he just said he didn't deserve this from what the Henry's could piece together DJ Brandon and another friend
were in DJ's car waiting outside of a bar and police asked them to move out of a fire lane Brandon said they weren't
doing anything and that out of the clear blue some guy flashes across with a gun
and starts shooting and then before he knows that he's on the the car and he's shooting at them Brandon was sitting
next to DJ in the car he was shot in the arm but escaped Serious injury and we said Brandon we need to know everything
and Brandon said no we were driving we were leaving and he just kept saying he didn't deserve this the family wanted
answers and that morning headed to the Mount Pleasant police station just hours after saying goodbye to their son and we
wanted to look him in the eyes and just say you know you need to know a little bit about our son what the Henry did not
know is that the police chief Lewis alago had already conducted a press conference implicating their son at
about 1:20 a.m. this morning M Pleasant police received a call of a disturbance un sponsor finans fight in
progress Al lagno said several police officers responded to a fight at Finnegan's grill a local bar about 2
miles from Pace University's campus reportedly unruly patrons had spilled into the parking lot it looks like it's
just a large Gathering of the bar outside according to Al agno when a policeman approached the car in the fire
lane the vehicle sped off and struck an officer for an unknown reason a vehicle that had been parked in a fire lane near
Finnegan's Grill accelerated from the scene Village of pleas officer attempted to stop that vehicle that vehicle struck
that officer he was propelled onto the hood got offic down a vehicle alno said the car continued to accelerate and the
officer on the hood of the car shot the driver that driver was DJ Henry I'm truly saddened by the events that
occurred this evening my condolences go out to the family of the young man that died in this event the Henry's didn't
want condolences they wanted to know how chief alag could make a public statement
about their son without talking to them first and you asked the question that they would conduct a press conference
without even having talked with you as family and the response was that's what the officers on the scene told me
happened basically and we pressed and said look we want to we want truth what we want is
truth that moment began a long legal Journey that would take the Henry's from a strip mall in New York all the way to
the United States Department of Justice we're not anti- police we're just trying
to understand what the facts tell us was it a Justified shooting or was it not justified because if it wasn't it was
murder WCBS news time 104 police in Westchester in the community of Mount Pleasant fire at a speeding vehicle
killing the driver identified as a Pace University student we we were pushing hard against
a very strong current in those early days because they beat us out there with a narrative and that narrative as DJ's
parents saw it was that police were blaming DJ for his own death good morning everyone the day after DJ was
killed Chief Lewis alago held a second press conference and gave more details the Pleasantville officer that was
involved was police officer Aaron Hess police officer has was the officer that ended up on the hood of the
deceased vehicle officer H drew his pistol and fired into the vehicle and he said DJ was accelerating toward a Second
Officer Ronald Beckley who had also fired at his car another officer Mount Pleasant officer Beckley was also
standing in a fire lane as this vehicle drove towards him he also discharged his
weapon at the vehicle the effort clearly was to villainize our son it was to make him
seem like a criminal Thug that needed to be stopped but DJ's friends say that is
not how it happened we weren't doing anything wrong we we're in a wild wild west that's what it felt like DJ's
teammate Desmond Hines was in the car that night with DJ Brandon and two other friends who went to finans as long as
the football team was together that's where we wanted to be having fun after that fight broke out the
bartender called called police and soon six officers arrived DJ and his passengers were not
involved and they headed to the doors so it seemed a little bit early but the lights came on and uh the bouncers were
telling everybody to get out and I heard DJ's friend Brandon Cox they said it's done it's done so we're
leaving you can see DJ here in security footage just minutes before he was shot DJ
Brandon and Desmond waited outside in DJ's car for their two other friends Brandon was in the front seat as they
were waiting he remembers an officer tapping on the back window asking them to move and he started to make a forward
motion to move forward that's when DJ puts the car into drive and uh starts to pull away we just pulled off slowly so
where we were parked it was like there was like a a curve in the in the roadway as we come around that curve I
can see somebody running from in between those two cars with their gun raised I look and I see this
dance two hands on something I never I didn't see the gun two hands pointed at pointed at the vehicle within seconds
that somebody officer hes was up on the Hood shooting I could feel something hit
my arm at that moment not sure what's going on not sure what it is and I'm just ducking down to just try to get out of
Harm's Way Brandon and Desmond both say they never saw that Second Officer Ronald Beckley at all I didn't hear
anything it was like everything was silent but I just saw bullet holes after bullet holes there was three or four
total at least one bullet hit the seat next to Desmond Brandon had that graze wound to the arm and DJ was shot twice
through his lungs and his heart TJ goes they shot me they shot me and then he just made this moan this
moan that I would never [Music] forget DJ's car crashed into a parked Cruiser and stalled to a stop here two
officers took DJ out handcuffed him and laid him on the ground Desmond remembers
being pulled out by yet another officer and he slammed me on the ground and I go
officer we did absolutely nothing wrong and he had a gun and he pointed it to the back of my head he said shut the up
and at that point I thought I was going to [Music] die I was asking everyone what happened
what happened Daniel Parker was friends with Desmond and DJ from the football team and every no one said anything you
know everyone was just like staring he came out of fegans shortly after hearing a disturbance outside cell
phone video shot by a fellow student captured that scene Daniel spotted Desmond here on the sidewalk also in
handcuffs and I was like Desmond are you okay and he was saying like they shot DJ this is dash cam video from a cruiser
that pulled in after the shooting on the right is Officer hes behind him is DJ lying in the road you know I saw that no
one was by him and I was looking I was like you gotta be kidding me like what's happening right now why why is no one
helping you the first person to try and revive DJ was this woman in the white sweater a civilian I saw her struggling
to try to give him compressions and I was like hey you know that's my teammate can I go help him I said I'm CPR
certified can I help him no answer is it's like get the back and his like eyes was open and I
saw like blood in his mouth and that's at the moment I was like like y'all killed him Daniel says after saying that
he was also thrown to the ground and handcuffed 10 long minutes had elapsed from that first call about the shooting
before a DJ was finally hooked up to a defibrillator in the days after losing their eldest son Dan and Angela Henry
had to confront more than just their grief they were facing two very different vers versions of events one
from the police and another from DJ's friends so we immediately had a conflict clearly we knew we needed to have
counsel but I needed a really good local attorney who who would push hard to get
at truth the Henry's hired Michael susman a legendary civil rights attorney from New
York and I remember in that first meeting danro looking at me and saying to me I don't want to make this about
race I don't want that to be the narrative I want to understand the details of why it
happened officer Hess his knee badly injured was also taken to the hospital that night and soon he too had a lawyer
of his own he doesn't see himself as some kind of hero Aaron Hess is a victim [Music]
we gathered together to talk about being a catalyst for change let us pray together I have to get up every day
without him I have to come home to an empty room I'll often stare at his picture and
just I'll just talk to him I'll just sit there and just just really try to absorb the fact
that this is how I'm supposed to be living now in the months after DJ's death as
his family grieved the Westchester District Attorney's Office began an investigation standard procedure at the
time in January of 2011 they convened a grand jury to see if officer hes should be charged with crime DJ's father Dan
Roy was called to testify the only questions I was asked two weeks before the grand jury wrapped up was did I know
that DJ uh drank occasionally that's it a month later Mr Henry got a call Aaron hes was not indicted on any charge
the DA's Office in Westchester County executed a sham pretty strong words yeah it was that that's that's what they did
and if I could think of a stronger word I use it the gentleman was not charged with anything criminally negligent
homicide manslaughter murder anything there should have been a charge and there should have been a criminal trial
the Henry should have had the if you will the satisfaction not that it's much satisfaction of believing that their
son's life had that much value hours after the grand jury decision after susman's repeated urging
the US Department of Justice began a separate investigation looking into a possible civil rights violation a
federal crime Weeks Later hess's Union named him officer of the year they said afterwards the award was not meant to be
public they wanted to do that privately to boost Aron hessa's morale to boost the
officers because he had been through a lot because he had been through a lot while the Department of Justice was
looking into the case the Henry's filed wrongful death suits against Aaron Hess the village of Pleasantville where hes
worked and the town of Mount Pleasant where DJ was shot your right please in August 2012 nearly two years after DJ's
death hes came to the US District Courthouse in Westchester for deposition in the wrongful death
cases were you the first police officer on the scene yes with their attorney Michael
asking questions Dan and Angela Henry were there it was really really important to us to be in the room we
wanted to look in the eye of the guy that shot our son we wanted to hear him tell us why to to see his face to have
him look Us in the eye to see Dany when he looked Us in the eyes that night specifically was a bad
night I only reacted to what I thought that I was going to be killed originally I was
worried that I was going to go in there and be just filled filled with anger but
I saw him and I just I didn't feel anything for him at the time DJ was killed in 2010
Aaron hes was 33 years old married and expecting twins he had served four years in the Marines and had been a police
officer since 2000 first in New York City and later for his hometown of Pleasantville New York that was Aaron H
well like Brian sakoff represents Aaron hes up until October 17th 2010 he had never fired his weapon in
the line of duty sponsor finans fight in progress hes arrived at finans shortly after the call went out about the
fight when that officer tapped on DJ's window hes says he was standing in the parking lot about 30 ft away Aaron h
who's around the bend observes three things happen simultaneously a he hears an engine rev B he hears an officer yell
stop that car or stop that vehicle and he sees an officer get turned off balance turned off balance suggesting
that suggesting that something was a Miss hes says that's why he stepped across the road
to face DJ's car as it drove toward him could you determine its rate of speed fast he puts up his hand and yells
stop stop the car doesn't stop he draws his weapon why didn't you move out of the
way of the vehicle cuz I thought the vehicle was going to stop why did you believe that I believed it was going to
stop because every other vehicle I've asked to stop in my career have stopped as a vehicle was coming towards
me I luned forward as it hit my legs at that time as I was on the hood the engine revved up
again and seemingly it seemed to me that was trying to get thrown off the vehicle at that time as when I
uh I fired my [Music] weapon as he was shooting hes says he could not see anyone inside the car he
who did you aim at the center mass of the driver so you saw the driver I saw the silhouette I didn't physically see a
driver it wasn't until they were both lying in the road H says that he first saw DJ the first time I observed the
driver he was face down handcuffed could you tell whether he was alive no could you see whether he was
breathing no now what were you doing at that point uh Li lying on the ground as well was anyone tending to you at that
point I want to take a break just give me a second sure take your time I'd like somebody to tell me what
other alternative Aaron hes had on the hood of a moving vehicle other than trying to save his own life or closing
his eyes and saying his prayers did you hear any comments or remarks about his status on the
scene yes what did you hear I heard someone say he's dead Aaron hes did not return to work
after the shooting he was on paid medical leave for 2 years then retired with disability for his knee injury at
the scene then a few weeks after Hess was first deposed the Henry's found support
from a very surprising source offic that second officer whom Chief alago had said also fired at DJ's
car Ronald Beckley he was willing to go against the script to try to stand up for what was
[Music] true the Henry's lawyer Michael susman is determined to keep J Henry's memory
alive in the driveway of his home why do you keep this car the car is a tangible
representation of what happened and when you see the bullet holes and you see the
situation with the axle of the car here and the wheel you have a very clear constant reminder of what happened and I
think that's very important to the truth-telling process that truth says susman would
come out during the wrongful death suits in the testimony of one Brave police officer officer Ron Beckley who is he
he's an American hero Ronald Beckley directly refuted the official version put out by his own Department in fact
the police chief's version was that DJ Henry was threatening Beckley which Beckley disavowed and said
this is not what happened according to sworen testimony in those wrongful death suits Mount
Pleasant police officer Ronald Beckley arrived on the scene that night night and fired his weapon for the first time
in his 30-year career at Aaron Hess he sees a person as he described it in dark clothing jumping on a
vehicle and he takes out his weapon and he fires a shot because he sees the person jumping on the vehicle as the
aggressor and believes that that person is shooting an endanger in other people and he has to try to stop
him Beckley did not realize that hes was a fellow officer within hours of the incident Beckley reported his account to
his superiors but the official version from Chief Lewis alago misrepresented beckley's version leaving the impression
that Beckley was shooting at DJ Henry another officer Mount Pleasant officer Beckley was also standing in a fire lane
as his vehicle drove towards him he also discharged his weapon at the vehicle he was willing to go against the
script to try to stand up for it was true when Ronald Beckley did that it was an answer to
prayer Aaron hess's lawyer Brian sakov says Beckley is no hero and that he broke department rules officers are
forbidden from firing at a moving vehicle instead of saying he was firing in at the moving vehicle he then says I
was firing at Aaron Hess Mr Beckley didn't lie Mr Beckley showed tremendous courage both at the scene and afterwards
because the blue cat of Silence does exist and Beckley knew in a certain sense that his career was
over Ronald Beckley retired three months after DJ Henry's death he was denied a full Disability Pension the person who
apologized the Henry's the person who cried with the Henry's was officer Ronald Beckley who said to them in my
presence I wish I could have stopped this and broke down and then there is the question of
how fast DJ Henry was driving Michael susman gave us this video of a test conducted by Westchester County police
in it DJ's car is shown accelerating to where Aaron hes was standing [Music] but DJ's friends made it clear that he
was driving slowly I would say maybe 15 10 to 15 miles hour nothing Reckless nothing
Reckless nothing dangerous no not endangering anybody you saw no pedestrians at all nope there were no
pedestrians in the way there was there was nothing blocking our blocking our path initially what was told to me by
the DA's office was that there were a group of civilians who were crossing the path in the parking
lot and that the thought was he had to stop this car from running over those civilians and we started pulling it
apart no one could ever identify these civilians where they were what how hes knew anything about them it just it
there was no justification it made no sense did he officer hes not have the option the alternative of getting out of
the way no not at the time that he felt his life was in danger so no room to to maneuver not once he felt his life was
in danger however Michael susman says this security video from the parking lot that
night shows the brake lights of DJ Henry's car as he was nearing Aaron Hess he was slowing down so I don't have to
rely on a million eyewitnesses I have the video showing the slow down I have the bullet
holes DJ was every Young man DJ was not doing anything that was out of character
out of ordinary he it just wasn't but just after DJ's death a toxicology report was leaked to the
press that showed his blood alcohol level at .13 that means DJ would have been impaired that night the Henry's lawyer
disputes that the bar owner who we spoke to and all the other people we spoke to
about DJ in that boss said he had nothing to to drink in the bar I did not see him have one drink at finnean the
entire evening the entire evening that was there according to DJ's friends he did have one drink earlier in the
evening back at the dorm that night I witnessed him having one drink that's it that was
it in a video from the bar that night DJ does not appear to be impaired I didn't
see him wobbly I didn't see him behaving in any kind of a baren or unusual way what whatever Brian sakoff insists the
toxicology report proves that DJ was breaking the law and had a reason for trying to leave the parking lot quickly
he did have a fake ID he was intoxicated we produced a report by a an eminent toxicologist there's no other evidence
on this there's been no other report no other expert contradicts this for those who say DJ Henry was drunk okay let me
make something very clear no officer at that that scene had any knowledge of DJ's drinking so he wasn't acting like
he was drunk if he was drunk we have no real reason to believe he was it's that simple I want to make this clear we are
not looking to demonize Dam Roy Henry who tragically lost his life that night an officer is entitled to protect his
own life and that's the answer DJ was devalued it's the simplest way to put it he was some kind of common Criminal
Who was handcuffed thrown to the gutter through their pain as the wrongful death suits dragged on the
Henry's were still waiting to see if the justice department would bring criminal
charges in their son's case we just want wanted to know if he was if he was justified in taking our son's
[Music] life These are DJ's ashes Burberry was his favorite so that's why we have this
Burberry finish and then someone gave us this Angel which we felt was fitting to
to be here by 2015 it had been 4 years since the justice department began its investigation the Henry's hopes were
with then us attorney prit barara and he said look I'm not afraid to prosecute these things I'll take them
on you should know I'm not afraid to do it so we were hopeful but they were warned that it wouldn't be easy he said
to us that the standard for prosecution was a high standard known as willfulness
there had to be a willful violation of civil rights so you saw the driver I saw the silhouette proving willfulness would
be hard because Aaron hes said he could only see a silhouette when he made the choice to shoot DJ Henry from Point
Blank Range Aaron hes could not see into the car he did not know the race the gender the age of anybody in the car do
you think that the events of October 17th 2010 would have unfolded differently if
the occupants of the car were white absolutely not the Henry's did not get the result
they sought it they chose not to pursue federal civil rights charges there were no charges the US attorney found that
Aaron hes had to make a split-second decision and the law allows latitude for an officer's
judgment despondent after exhausting all Criminal options in 2016 the Henry's decided to settle their wrongful death
suit with the village of Pleasantville and Aaron Hess The Village paid $6 million it's in a trust we won't touch
it it's it's blood money to US blood [Music] money they want you to put a dollar
amount on your child's life how can you do that there is no appropriate amount [Music]
in 2017 the Henry's also settled the wrongful death suit with the town of Mount Pleasant for an undisclosed amount
but they got something more valuable to them a public apology they wanted to apologize in private but we felt that
they mischaracterized our son in public so the apology should be made public knowing that even in his death they
continued to bash his name and say such negative things is is just adding salt to the wound the town released this
statement which read in part quote the town regrets any statement made on its behalf in the immediate aftermath of the
incident and regrets the misimpression of DJ Henry those statements may have caused
if it were up to me I wouldn't even want them to say anything they've said enough
by what they've done theyve said enough but something big was achieved seven long years after the tragic death
of their promising young son the Henry's cleared Dan Roy Henry Jr's name it was important because we knew who our son
was and is do you consider that public apology and admission of guilt yes I mean that's how we took it I think
in the public apology they say it's not but that's how we took it but the fact remains that no criminal
charges were brought in DJ Henry's case today Aaron hes is employed in private security when you do think about
officer hes what are your thoughts I'm praying that at some moment in his life life he
will fall to his knees and ask for forgiveness for what he did and I pray that he never has to deal
with it with his children I I try not to think about him I try not to good evening my name is Dan Henry through
their sorrow the Henry's have found a way to honor their son's memory in 2011 they started a charity called
the DJ Henry dream [Music] fund the foundation was a way to honor our son's love of fitness and sports the
fund sponsors children in need from New England to attend summer camps and programs so far it has given away over
half a million dollars to deserving kids I me what moves me the most is when kids
that come and tell their story say thank you to Danny that's [Music] powerful DJ Henry's life was powerful
childhood friend Brandon Cox keeps a wristband it says this is to the memory of Dan Roy
Henry no matter what I'm going to remember him he's a part of me forever today the Henry spend a lot of time on
Martha's Vineyard they came here as a family when DJ was alive now they keep him alive in their
hearts with a memorial bench that overlooks the ocean I'm try not to get sad yeah what do you want people to remember
about DJ about Danny I want them to remember his life not his death I want them to remember the the the giving kind
nurturing loving spirit that he is we should know that he would have done great things if he was here
destined for great things an amazing person that this world Lov Danny would walk around the house
and say I have to travel I don't have the time you know I have to do this I don't have the time and we would look at
him and say you have all the time you have your whole life in his mind I think he knew that
maybe he wasn't supposed to be here on this Earth in a physical form for very long that he was maybe supposed to help
in a different way I know that there's more I just know at the end of the day I'll get to be with them again
[Music]

"48 Hours" reports on cases involving athletes. Binge-watch the full episodes, which include "Christy Martin -- The Fight of Her Life," "The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek" and "Defending DJ "

00:00 Christy Martin -- The Fight of Her Life 41:45 The Shooting of Lauren Kanarek 1:22:59 Defending DJ

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Christy Martin shares her story of survival after surviving a brutal attack by her husband, revealing the complexities of domestic abuse.

Key points

A Life or Death Battle. Christy Martin's struggle for survival against her abusive husband culminates in a courtroom showdown.
Christy Martin: The Boxer Who Fought Back. Christy Martin faced her ex-husband in court after surviving a brutal attack.
The Fight for Justice. Christy Martin's testimony reveals the harrowing details of her near-fatal encounter with Jim.
Christy's Testimony. Christy Martin confronts her attacker, Jim, during her testimony in court.
The Clash of Trainers. Barisone and Canak's relationship twists into a road to ruin, leading to unexpected consequences.
The Online Attack. Lauren's social media offensive escalates tensions, declaring war on Barisone.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I want out, I'm done.

Christy Martin declaring her intention to leave Jim.

13:34WatchAug 3, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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