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Netflix’s ‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Renews Focus on Ajike Owens’ Killing and Its Aftermath

The film’s release renews scrutiny of the self-defense narrative surrounding the 2023 shooting.

Overview

  • Now streaming on Netflix, the documentary reconstructs the case largely through police bodycam, 911 audio, and doorbell and cellphone footage.
  • Shooter Susan Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter in August 2024, sentenced to 25 years that November, and is incarcerated at Homestead Correctional Institution with a scheduled April 8, 2048 release.
  • Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said Florida’s Stand Your Ground law did not apply, noting Owens was shot through a closed door following prior disputes involving neighborhood children.
  • Owens’ four children were present for the aftermath of the shooting; they live with their grandmother, Pamela Dias, and the family has reported trauma therapy for at least one child.
  • The film and court testimony undermine Lorincz’s on-camera “Dr. Lorincz” claim, with witnesses citing insurance work and earlier EMT and service roles rather than any medical license.