A soon-to-be-released Netflix documentary will delve into a chilling true crime incident that shook a quiet community when a dispute took a deadly turn. The upcoming film, titled “The Perfect Neighbor,” scheduled for release in October, will recount the unsettling saga between Ajike “AJ” Shantrell Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, and her 58-year-old neighbor, Susan Lorincz.
The documentary will detail how the tragic events unfolded in 2023, leading to Owens being fatally shot through a locked door after years of escalating conflicts with Lorincz. The film will utilize police body-camera footage and 911 call recordings to illustrate the mounting tensions between the two women. Lorincz had made multiple complaints to the police regarding Owens’ children, alleging trespassing, disruptive behavior, and other issues in the neighborhood.
The program will highlight how the repeated conflicts and police interventions portrayed Owens as a perceived threat to Lorincz. Tragically, the situation culminated in Lorincz firing at Owens through her door, resulting in the mother’s untimely death. The fatal encounter occurred during a disagreement about Owens’ children playing outside in Ocala, where Lorincz reportedly directed racial slurs towards Owens’ Black children.
The fatal shooting followed a series of altercations that had prompted multiple police interventions since January 2021. The final confrontation was believed to have stemmed from an earlier incident where Lorincz had confronted Owens’ children, leading to a violent encounter that ended in tragedy.
Despite invoking Florida’s “stand your ground” law in her defense, claiming self-defense, Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter and assault in 2024. She was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison. The documentary premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, earning the US Documentary Directing Award, and is set to debut in theaters on October 10 before being available for streaming on Netflix on October 17.
During the trial, Judge Robert Hodges remarked that the shooting appeared to be motivated more by anger than fear, stating that Lorincz was in a safe position when she fired the fatal shot through the door. Despite her claims of self-defense, the jury determined her culpability in the tragic incident.
