Florida woman sentenced to 25 years for fatally shooting neighbor through door

A white Florida woman who fatally shot her Black neighbor through a locked door was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday for the “completely unnecessary” gunfire.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge Robert Hodges said Susan Louise Lorincz, 60, did “significant harm” to the victim and her family.

“I find that the shooting was completely unnecessary,” the judge said. “In this case, Ms. Lorincz was behind the door. The door was locked.”

Lorincz, who residents said had a history of harassing children and using racial slurs, was convicted of manslaughter three months ago for last year’s slaying of Ajike “AJ” Owens.

She faced up to 30 years in prison. However, her defense lawyer told the court she deserved less than the 11.5-year minimum, saying that she has a mental disorder and was under “extreme duress” during the deadly confrontation.

The judge said he couldn’t see his way clear to letting her off with probation as the defense had asked.

“She’s a victim of child sex abuse was a significant mitigating factor, and she has no criminal record, which is also a significant factor,” the judge said. “However, we also have a tremendous harm inflicted upon this family and the victim’s family.”

Owens knocked on Lorincz’s door in Ocala, about 70 miles north of Walt Disney World, on June 2, 2023, not long after Lorincz had bickered with the victim’s children who were playing nearby.

Lorincz fired a single round from a .380-caliber handgun and killed Owens, a mother of four, who was standing on the other side of a locked door, authorities said.

Pamela Dias, the victim’s mother, said the slaying has impacted every aspect of her life.

“I stand before you not only mourning the loss of my daughter, but also the loss of our hopes, dreams and the future that we often spoke of,” Dias told the court.

“I‘m still trying to grasp and cope with the fact that my daughter, my baby girl, is lying six feet underground, breathless, lifeless.”

Owens’ four children, were between 3 and 12 when their mother was killed.

“She won’t be present for the baptisms, the prom, graduations, their first love, their first breakups, engagements, marriages, children, all the (pivotal moments), all the important moments that a parent and a child, share together,” Dias said.

“Our pain and suffering didn’t end when Susan was found guilty of manslaughter. Our pain and suffering won’t end with today’s sentencing. Our pain and suffering will last a lifetime.”

The all-white, six-person jury found Lorincz guilty of manslaughter after just 2 1/2 hours of deliberations.

Lorincz, dressed in a yellow jail jumpsuit in court Monday, said she regrets pulling the trigger.

“I am so sorry.  I never intended to kill her,” she told the court.  “I am just profoundly sad. Not only did a mother die but a daughter, a sister, I think of your family’s loss.” 

Two friends of Lorincz’s and her pastor testified that the shooting was totally out of character for Lorincz. Her sister testified that they both suffered terrible physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

When Owens knocked on her door, the defense team’s psychologist said Monday that Lorincz’s PTSD led her to make a tragically bad choice. 

“It will be my opinion that, yes, that her ability to appreciate the criminality of her conduct or to conform her behavior will be substantially impaired because she’s perceiving that her life is in danger,” psychologist Jenny Castillo said in court.

“She’s perceiving that the door, the locked door with the bolt, will not hold, and that Ms. Owens is going to victimize her. She describes shaking. She describes being overcome by fear, and in that moment, there is a lack of consideration.” 

Lorincz wasn’t immediately arrested after the shooting, drawing protests from Owens’ family.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said his investigators needed that time to fully evaluate Lorincz’s claim that was reasonably fearful when she opened fire.