The Perfect Neighbor: What Happened to Susan Lorincz?

Nivedita Dubey
October 31, 2025

Summary:

Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor revisits the 2023 killing of Ajike “AJ” Owens by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, in Ocala, Florida.
Lorincz shot Owens through a closed door during a long-standing neighborhood dispute and was later sentenced to 25 years in prison for manslaughter.
The documentary, released on October 17, 2025, uses police bodycam footage to reveal how years of tension and systemic failures led to tragedy.

Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor isn’t your typical true-crime feature it’s an unflinching look at how a neighborly feud spiraled into a fatal confrontation. Through raw police footage and real 911 recordings, the film dissects the 2023 killing of Ajike “AJ” Owens by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, in Ocala, Florida. Here’s the true story behind the case, what Lorincz did, and where she is today.

What Did Susan Lorincz Do in the Ajike Owens in The Perfect Neighbor?

The Perfect Neighbor _ Official Trailer _ Netflix

The tragedy at the center of The Perfect Neighbor began years before the fatal night of June 2, 2023. For months, Susan Louise Lorincz, a 58-year-old insurance agent, had been calling police to complain about neighborhood children mostly Black kids playing in a vacant lot near her property.

Neighbors told police that Lorincz frequently yelled at the children, hurled racial slurs, and sometimes brandished an umbrella or even a gun. She was the only resident who regularly reported such disturbances, and officers often responded with skepticism. One of the kids in the film even recalls saying, “We’re 11!” when accused of trying to steal her truck.

On the day of the shooting, Lorincz claimed that several boys were playing too close to her yard and that she felt threatened. When she yelled at them to leave, the boys went to get their mother Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, a 35-year-old single mom of four. Moments later, Owens went to Lorincz’s door to confront her.

Lorincz called 911 to report a disturbance and was told that officers were on their way. Before they arrived, Lorincz fired a single bullet through her closed front door, striking Owens in the chest all while one of Owens’s children stood nearby.

Owens died shortly after being taken to a hospital, leaving behind four young children and a devastated community.

How Did the Investigation and Trial Unfold?

The shooting immediately sparked outrage across Florida and beyond — but also frustration, because police did not immediately arrest Lorincz. Authorities initially investigated whether her actions were protected under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows the use of deadly force if a person “reasonably believes” they are in danger.

The delay in arrest only intensified anger in Ocala’s Black community, with many pointing to racial bias in how such cases are handled. Public protests and national news coverage including commentary from civil rights activists like Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered Owens’s eulogy demanded accountability.

When the investigation concluded, the evidence undercut Lorincz’s claims of self-defense. Bodycam footage, 911 audio, and witness statements suggested that Owens had not forcibly entered Lorincz’s home. Police and prosecutors determined that Lorincz’s fear was not “reasonable” under the law.

Lorincz was arrested on June 6, 2023, and charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery, and two counts of assault.

During her interrogation, Lorincz told officers, “I thought she was going to kill me.” Yet, when asked why she fired the gun just minutes after being told police were coming, detectives questioned her decision. “The decisions you made are not reasonable,” one officer said on camera — a moment featured prominently in the documentary.

Where Is Susan Lorincz Now?

The Perfect Neighbor Official Trailer Netflix 1 — The Perfect Neighbor _ Official Trailer _ Netflix

In November 2024, a Florida court found Susan Lorincz guilty of manslaughter with a firearm. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the maximum penalty for her charge.

Lorincz, now 60, is serving her sentence at the Homestead Correctional Institution in southern Florida a women’s prison known for housing those convicted of violent felonies.

While she did not testify in her own defense during the trial, she later issued a written apology through her attorneys:

“I am so sorry that I took AJ’s life. I never intended to kill her… Please accept my humble and sincere apology for this tragedy.”

Prosecutors argued that Lorincz acted out of anger, not fear, and the judge agreed, saying that her actions showed hostility rather than self-defense.

The court’s ruling marked a rare case in which a white shooter invoking “Stand Your Ground” faced full accountability for killing a Black victim a key point of discussion in The Perfect Neighbor.

How Does the Documentary Portray the Events?

Directed by Geeta Gandbhir, The Perfect Neighbor reconstructs the story entirely through police bodycam footage, 911 recordings, and archival media without traditional narration or interviews. This stark approach immerses viewers directly in the unfolding events and exposes how repeated warnings went unheeded.

The title itself comes from Lorincz’s own words, caught on tape: “I’m like the perfect neighbor.”

Through this footage, the documentary captures the gradual decay of what was once a close-knit Florida community. Neighbors recall how the area was once safe and friendly until tensions centered around Lorincz’s behavior poisoned the atmosphere.

The film doesn’t sensationalize violence. It avoids showing the moment of the shooting, instead focusing on the systemic failures that allowed it to happen: ignored 911 calls, unchecked aggression, and a reliance on police intervention rather than mediation or community engagement.

Gandbhir’s goal was clear to turn body cameras, often viewed as instruments of law enforcement, into tools of accountability. “If you can pick up a gun to solve a trivial dispute with your neighbor,” she said in interviews, “what else are you capable of?”

What Was the Community’s Reaction and Legacy of the Case?

The death of Ajike “AJ” Owens drew national attention, reigniting debates about Florida’s Stand Your Ground laws. Similar laws exist in over half of U.S. states, but critics argue they disproportionately protect white defendants and justify violence against people of color.

Owens’s mother, Pamela Dias, became a leading voice for reform. She founded the Standing in the Gap Fund, which helps families affected by race-based violence and promotes community healing.

The film amplifies that activism, portraying Owens not as a statistic but as a loving mother whose death revealed cracks in the justice system and in the concept of “neighborliness” itself.

Even after Lorincz’s conviction, many residents of Ocala say the case has changed how they view conflict — and how they call for help.

The film’s release on October 17, 2025, and its debut on Netflix, has renewed conversations nationwide about community safety, bias in self-defense laws, and the everyday roots of racial tension.

Why Does Susan Lorincz’s Case Still Matter Today?

Beyond the specifics of one neighborhood, Lorincz’s case underscores a growing national question: What happens when fear is given legal privilege?

The “Stand Your Ground” doctrine was intended to protect people facing imminent threats, but critics argue it’s often interpreted unevenly. Studies show that when the shooter is white and the victim is Black, claims of self-defense are far more likely to succeed.

The Perfect Neighbor challenges audiences to ask whether that framework reinforces racial bias. Through real footage, viewers see how unchecked fear and institutional hesitation can lead to irreversible harm.

For Owens’s family, the message is simple: “If we don’t bear witness, we allow it to happen again.”

Release Details

Title: The Perfect Neighbor
Director: Geeta Gandbhir
Platform: Netflix
Release Date: October 17, 2025
Runtime: 1 hour 55 minutes
Genre: Documentary / True Crime
Subject: The 2023 killing of Ajike “AJ” Owens by neighbor Susan Lorincz in Ocala, Florida