The Perfect Neighbor

The film’s climax unfolds on the night of June 2, 2023. After repeatedly harassing the Owens children for playing on the vacant lot beside her house, Susan Lorincz throws one of their roller‑skates at them. Their mother, Ajike Owens, storms over, bangs on Susan’s locked front door and demands an explanation. Terrified that the woman might break in, Susan grabs her handgun and fires a single shot through the door, striking Ajike in the chest and killing her.

Police arrive to find Ajike already lifeless and the children in shock. The investigation quickly reveals that Susan’s two 911 calls—one reporting a “dangerous altercation” and a second, minutes later, confessing the shooting—were made within two minutes of each other, contradicting her claim that ten minutes had passed between the calls. Body‑cam and security footage, along with neighbors’ testimonies, expose a pattern of Susan’s false reports, racist tirades, and even a prior incident in which she lied to officers about a car‑gate collision.

During the subsequent interrogation, Susan attempts to recast the shooting as pure self‑defense, invoking Florida’s controversial Stand‑Your‑Ground law. Her defense team brings a psychologist who diagnoses her with PTSD from childhood abuse, hoping to mitigate responsibility. The judge, however, rejects the argument that her trauma excuses the killing, and the six‑person jury finds her guilty of manslaughter.

Sentenced to 25 years in the Homestead Correctional Facility, Susan will likely spend the rest of her life behind bars. The Owens family, left without their 35‑year‑old mother, struggles to rebuild. Her sons, Isaac and Israel, grapple with guilt but eventually lean on extended family and community support. They remain in their Ocala home, while many of Ajike’s relatives join the fight against the Stand‑Your‑Ground law, demanding an end to the “shoot‑first, talk‑later” mentality that the documentary suggests enabled Susan’s fatal mistake.

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 at 15:56