Netflix’s chilling true-crime documentary “The Perfect Neighbor” unravels the tragic murder of Ajike “AJ” Owens and the story behind her killer, Susan Lorincz.
Through police bodycam footage, filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir unpacks the events that took place before and after Lorincz, a white woman, fatally shot Owens, a Black mother of four, in Ocala, Florida, back in 2023.
“The Perfect Neighbor,” which was titled after words Lorincz used to describe herself when questioned by police, not only explores Owens’ killing but also the dynamics of the two’s relationship as well as Lorincz’s alleged racial prejudice.
The film garnered critical acclaim when it made its world premiere in January at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where Gandbhir took home the festival’s Best Documentary Director award.
What happened?
Lorincz fatally shot Owens on June 2, 2023 after the two got into a dispute over Owens’ children playing in a grassy area in the neighborhood near both of their homes. At the time of the shooting, Owens was confronting Lorincz about throwing objects and allegedly yelling racial slurs at Owens’ children.
Lorincz claimed she acted in self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” when she shot Owens, saying she feared for her life. However, she shot Owens through her closed door, which prosecutors used to argue that Lorincz wasn’t in imminent danger.
Where is Susan Lorincz now?
Lorincz is now serving 25 years in a South Florida prison for the shooting death of Owens. Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter with a firearm on Aug. 16, 2024. She was sentenced on Nov. 25, 2024. She filed an appeal of her conviction in January 2025.
