Law&Crime Sidebar - Terrifying Truth Behind Netflix's 'The Perfect Neighbor'

Episode Date: October 24, 2025

Netflix’s latest true crime docuseries, The Perfect Neighbor, tells the shocking story of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a mother of four who was fatally shot in her Marion County, Florida neighborhood by her own neighbor, Susan Lorincz. Owens’ children and neighbors had clashed with Lorincz for months over noise and play in a local field — a dispute that escalated into a deadly confrontation. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber breaks down the real-life events, the chilling court filings, and the explosive trial testimony, including Lorincz’s version of what happened and the moments that led to AJ Owens’ tragic death.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Download the SAN app at https://san.com/sidebar for Unbiased, Straight factsHOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger, Christina O'Shea, Alex Ciccarone, & Jay CruzScript Writing & Producing - Savannah Williamson & Juliana BattagliaGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. The crux of this case, ladies and gentlemen, is whether at the time she fired her billing, at that closed, locked, deadbolted door, did she reasonably believe that her conduct was necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm against her? It is virtually impossible to convey all of the ways Susan has devastated our lives. The documentary film The Perfect Neighbor is essentially the number one program in the U.S. on Netflix right now. And the Sundance Film Festival winner chronicles the case against Susan Lawrence, the woman who shot and killed her neighbor.

And through body camera footage and interrogation tapes, we are seeing this picture. But what the film didn't take a deep dive into was the court case. So long crime, we covered this trial, gavel to gavel. We are going to take you through powerful attorney statements, critical witness testimony, and an emotional sentencing. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. Netflix's latest true crime documentary, The Perfect Neighbor, is dedicated to what it calls Ajaka A.J. Owens' legacy, her four children. The 35-year-old woman was gunned down in her Marion County, Florida neighborhood on June 2nd, 2023 by her own neighbor. Then 58-year-old Susan Lawrence lived across the street from Owens and her kids, and the women had some tense exchanges about where many kids in the neighborhood were allowed to play.

You see, next to the cluster of apartments where Lawrence had rented, there was this empty, grassy field. So naturally, the kids gravitated toward it, right? They played tag. They threw footballs. They generally acted like kids. But as you know, with rambunctious young kids comes a lot of a noise, and apparently Lawrence didn't like that at all. So despite having no ownership of that open area, by the way, she was constantly scolding the kids for playing there and being loud. She also involved Marion County deputies multiple times calling to report the kids that they were trespassing or being a public nuisance.

And in the months before the tension between Lawrence and Owens came to a head, Lawrence called 911 to report that Owens had thrown a no trespassing sign at her. Look at home, I do insurance, and the kids are screaming and yelling. and so it's very hard for me and this is my apartment here they're all here in the front it's really we can hear it's loud it's nosy kids and out of the kids but when they come on the side here

I just can't hear my comments that's not fair to me I understand you know right to have people and quiet enjoy I understand I'm just I'm sorry my heart's thumping I just didn't know she was going to actually get physical with me

with the sign yeah I'm probably You know, and that's not cool. You don't get physical. I mean, did she just through it? No, she whipped it at me. I mean, she didn't me. Deputies, they spoke with Owens as well,

whose frustration with this whole situation was definitely palpable. It's funny because I'm the one that never comes outside that says anything to look to bat. I just happened to feel that, first of all, before she moved there, this big open space right here,

all the kids, they like to play kick football, football, in a space. She used that, I don't want y'all playing over so they don't play there. Okay, fine, I told my kids. They're playing over? Y'all don't know. Okay?

So we have a dog, and she's always seeing pictures of the kids. Oh, I want to tell you to have the guys arrested. Always, she's bad with the kids. So I told them kids stay away from their adult or whatever. So we have a dog, and kids take the dog down. The other day, she tells my son, I'm going to have you arrested,

and we're going to have you arrested. and we're going to jail, he's eight, so he's terrified. He won't even walk the dog anymore. So she's terrified. He won't even walk the dog anymore. So I have my living role, take the dog out now. So he's walking the dog on this side. Now, you live on this side, okay?

You don't want him over here, fine, but this is joint area. You can't tell them they can't walk in on this side. So he's walking the dog, and he's all the way back towards the fence. I'm standing here. Come on my phone. she comes outside to go to the car or something she sees him. I told you I'm going to have you arrested. And she has her phone out like she's taking his picture or whatever.

Now he's trying to run back across the street. So I'm sorry, what do you say to him? And so I go over there. This is my private property. They can't have the dog over here. I told her, first of all, he's not on your right. He's on this side. You don't own it.

And even it was on this side. You don't home this either. You're renting this. Just like I went over here, just like they ran over there. you can't tell them technically if they're not in your personal personal space that they can't walk the dog or even throw their football over here and owen's neighbors backed her up this is just an open field you know it belongs to both property you know what i'm saying so if the kids want to play whatever and that's that's what i keep telling you hey as long as you don't get in her door you

don't start throwing rocks don't be cursing her it's okay she could cup the cups whenever she wants but and i was trying to re-smooth her one day because we were all playing here you know the kids I'm like, hey, let's go. And just like, hey, you know what? One day you guys are going to die. And I'm like, and that's why like, whoa. As we're covering this kind of story, I will just say, even if you're not a journalist, staying on top of what is going on in the world is so important.

But look, these days, with all the media bias, the mistrust, it can feel nearly impossible to know what to actually believe, right? But that is why I want to introduce you to our sponsor, Straight Hour News. So Straight Hour News is a personalized news platform that empowers readers with unbiased fact-based journalism, reporting that informs, educates, it actually builds trust from across the political spectrums. How does it work? Well, its media mist tool opens readers' eyes to reporting that's not seen in biased mainstream outlets. It provides useful commentary and analysis and source transparency along the way so that readers can see what's really happening versus what's just, you know,

sensational spin. Now, the difference between straight hour news and other platforms is that their site and app shows the bias of their sources. Their media landscape tool groups and displays outlets according to their leanings to deliver maximum transparency. So if you're ready for a better way to get the news, go to san.com slash sidebar. Just click the link in my description. It's straight hour news. You skip the drama. You get the facts. Welcome back to trustworthy journalism. But unfortunately, these simmering tensions reached a boiling point just a few weeks later. Lawrence had confronted Owen's children before picking up a roller skate and throwing it at her then 10-year-old son hitting his foot. And when this boy ran away, he apparently left behind a tablet, which Lawrence reportedly

took. While Owens' kids went to tell their mom what had happened, Lawrence called 911, reporting to the dispatcher that the child had threatened to beat her up, that she was in fear for her life because they were still outside. Now, Owens, who was furious that Lawrence had not only yelled again at her children, but also threw something at one of them, she goes across the street, She starts banging on Lawrence's door, demanding she open it up and speak with her. Instead, what does Lawrence do? She fires a gun through the locked metal door, hitting Owens once in the chest. Owens collapsed, was still showing signs of life before she was rushed to the hospital.

But the hope that she might survive, that was fleeting. And it led to this just absolutely heart-wrenching moment that was caught on body cameras. It has been a very bad day. there's something bad that's happened and y'all y'all seen it y'all understand it you all experience it right okay y'all love me

okay y'all love mom all right well I got some bad news to tell you mom's not coming back anymore come no no come here

come over here listen to me No, no, I know, okay, it's okay, I know, I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you can't go, you're going to be okay. You guys are going to be okay. It's all right. You guys are all right. You guys are right. I know this ain't. Okay.

It's all right. Oh, God. Yeah. I got it. I know this ain't easy. Now, here's the thing, while Lawrence was detained that night, she was released. Yeah, she wasn't formally arrested until several days later, something that caused uproar in the community. And during that time, she had multiple interviews with detectives where they tried to get her side of the story.

So what happened tonight that led to the conclusion? Well, I just like kids go home. So they go home, and then all of a sudden she comes out, and she is just banging on my door. I'm like, go away. I'm not dealing with you tonight. And then she started banging so hard, everything starts shaking. And I'm like, you really need to leave. And I'm going to kill you. And she's just banging me, banged away.

You know, and like, oh, Jesus crazy. And the person she has actually harmed me. I'm like, it just keeps getting worse and worse. I'm like, I don't know what to do with her. And she bang so hard, it looked like my door was going to fly off. And that's, I just, I panicked. And I was like, oh, my gosh, she's really going to kill me this time, you know? And so I don't even actually remember getting up to that.

I just remember shooting. You haven't really seen remorseful for today, at least, for what had happened. Oh, God. I just, it's making, it just makes me sick. I don't know, I can't take it back. It's transpired. It's in the past. I don't know what the hell to do.

And it's just probably be shutting down again. So what happens? Lawrence was arrested and charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault. Owens' family had actually wanted prosecutors to charge her with second-degree murder, but according to reporting from Us Weekly, the DA's office said there was insufficient evidence to prove murder here. Now, Lawrence, she went to trial in August of 2024. WC.JB reports that the other charges were in fact dropped, so all you had is the manslaughter charge. And she appeared, by the way, very different, very different, having apparently

lost a significant amount of weight since her arrest. Lawrence's attorneys, they argued self-defense. lot of conversations about stand your ground in Florida, right? The stand your ground laws we know, you don't have an obligation to retreat. You can stand your ground. You can use deadly force if necessary. Well, prosecutor Adam Smith said during his opening statement that firing a gun was an incredibly reckless and unnecessary thing to do here. The defendant goes into her bedroom, grabs, the loaded firearm, then lost all the way back out to the locked front door, And the police are on the way, as she's been told. She points at the door, fires one shot at the center of the door, shooting and killing this object at home.

But then you had the other side. You had defense attorney Morris Carranza, who argued that the commotion going on outside Lawrence's door wasn't minor. It was terrifying. Susan is sitting there. She has her firearm. She's several feet away from the door. As Anja is pounding on that door, pounding over and over there for minutes, you'll hear testimony that there is a cement wall right next to the door,

and it is moving, it is shaking, so much so that there is a mirror on that wall next to the door, and it's shaking as well. And you'll hear evidence. his heart is pounding, the pounding, the kind of pounding that you feel, that's so powerful, that so treacherous, that you feel the heartbeat in your throat. That banging on Lawrence's door is really the crux of this whole case, right? How intimidating was the knocking? What was Owens yelling as she was banging on the door?

Well, one of the witnesses called was a boy named Uriel, one of the children who was in the neighborhood that day and saw what happened. I remember her banging on the door. All right. Mom banging on the door? Yes. How is she banging? Can you describe that?

She was banging in a mad type of bang. She was like, banging on it pretty hard. Okay. Do you remember... Mom saying anything? Yes. What do you remember her saying? I remember her saying...

I remember her saying... Ah. I remember her saying, open up the door. Okay. Do you remember a fucking, mom cussing it all while she was at the door? Yes. Okay, do you remember what she was saying?

Yes. Okay, what was she saying? She was saying the B word, you know? The B word. Okay. Now, where was a fucking shit mom banging on the door? Kind of in the middle. In the middle?

Yes. Okay. Did you ever see he can see his mom reach for the door handle? No. Did you ever hear a fucking mom say, I'm going to kill you?

No. And that's critical, okay? Because witnesses have testified that they never heard Owen say she was going to kill Lawrence, which was one of the reasons that Lawrence had claimed she was so scared. During Uriel's cross-examination by the defense,

they really emphasized that the confrontation was intense. And then after that, you started banging on Susan's, Susan's regular door, right? Yes. And she was banging really hard, wasn't she? Yeah, mad hard, yes. I'm sorry?

Hard, yes. And it was like bang, bang, bang, bang, hard, right? Yes. And she was doing it with her fist, right? Yes. And A.J. was talking really loud that she was banging and banging and banging and banging on that door, correct?

Yes. Her tone was a loud one and a mad one, right? Yes. She was screaming, right? Yes. And where she was banging, she was banging in the middle of the door, kind of like where the door handle is, right? Objection or misrepresentation.

Hold on one second. Overaw the objection. You can answer the question if he knows. Okay. And she was banging in the middle of the door, kind of like where the door handle is, correct? No. She wasn't?

She was banging in. Not the middle where the door handle was. Not like the side of the door handle, just the middle. Just the middle? Okay. But in that area, that's when she's banging with her fist, right? Yes. And I know you don't want to curse, so I'm going to mention some words,

and then you let me know these are the words that you said. I know you don't want to say it, I understand. But we just, we have to know exactly the words she was using. She was using the words. Yes. And f***, right? Yes. And she was saying things like this, right?

Yes. And as I mentioned before, when that bullet flew through the door and struck Owens, it hit her in the chest. And according to body camera footage, she stumbled a few feet from Lawrence's door before collapsing. Witnesses tried to help staunch the bleeding and keep Owens conscious until paramedics could take over. But you had a forensic pathologist who testified about the absolutely catastrophic nature. of Owens' injuries. Can you describe to the jury the damage that the projectile caused as it entered her body and proceeded through it?

Sure. So the projectile entered the right side of the chest. It then hit the fourth rib, after which it went through her right lung, it went through the heart, it went through the esophagus, it also went through the aorta, after which it went through the diaphragm, the spleen, and it was recovered from the left lower abdomen area. Now, as we know, everybody has the opportunity to testify in their own defense, right? It's their right. And while they can listen to attorney advice, the decision whether or not to take the stand is left up entirely to each individual defendant. Ms. Lawrence, have you discussed with your attorneys the decision regarding whether or not you will testify or not?

Yes, I have. Do you need any additional time to discuss that decision with them? No. Have they forced you to make a decision in any way? No. Have you made a decision on your own? Yes, I have. Can you tell us what that decision is? I am not going to testify.

You've made that decision freely and voluntarily? Yes. Okay. So both the state and the defense rested their cases, and then they delivered their closing arguments. She was angry the kids were being noisy. And she admitted to throwing the roller skate like we saw in the photo a few minutes ago. She told the 911 operator that she was sick of the children.

Her words were, they are bothering me. They won't effing stop. She wasn't afraid. She was angry. You heard the tone of that 911 call. The 911 call, an operator asked, are you in danger? And she said, no, I locked my door. She locked her metal door.

We know from her 911 call, the main lock was engaged. We know from her interview with the detectives. The deadbolt was engaged. So at this time, she is behind a closed, locked, dead-bolted metal door, standard metal door about an inch of three-four to stay. She's behind that in her concrete block home. Ms. Owens made it clear to the defendant that she wanted the defendant to come out and deal with this situation. If Ms. Owens wanted to get into that house, all she had to do was take something from the patio, one of that little Santa thing that was sitting there, froed through the sliding glass door,

shatter the door, and get in there. She didn't do any of that. because her goal was not to get in the house. It was to get the defendant to come out and deal with the situation with her children. Even in the defendant's interview with the detectives, she was asked, what was the first thing that came out of Ms. Owens' mouth?

And the defendant said, Ms. Owens first said, I want to speak to you because you're talking to my sons. I don't like the way you're talking to my sons. If Susan Lawrence was in a dwelling in which she had a right to be, she had no duty to retreat. If you remember during the trial, Mr. Smith had asked some of the witnesses, did Susan shoot from way back there by her bedroom?

Did she shoot from behind that countertop or behind that kitchen? It doesn't matter because she has no duty to retreat and she can stand her ground when she is in her dwelling if she is faced with imminent danger. another important part of this is if she reasonably believed she reasonably believed we do not judge Susan Lawrence with what we in this courtroom have experienced in life it's not what I would do or Mr. Bucksman or Mr. Smith would do in that circumstance it's what Susan Lawrence reasonably believed was necessary to prevent.

That's very important word. Prevent. It only took about two and a half hours for the jury to come back with a verdict. Verdict doesn't count one. We the jury fine as account one of the charge. The defendant is guilty of manslaughter. So what happens next? Well, ahead of her sentencing, Lawrence met with a licensed psychologist who testified at the

sentencing hearing in November of 2024, that Lawrence had PTSD after suffering severe abuse and trauma during her childhood. And this psychologist was also asked about how Lawrence reacted to the enormous consequences of her actions. Was she very remorseful in regard to Ms. Owens and her passing away? To me, she expressed, especially in the last two times that I saw her, that when she looks at this rationally, right? She said, to me, I now realize that she was like a mama bear, taking care of her kids. And that's how I see her now. But that's not what I saw that day. Owens' mother, who had been a powerful voice in the call for justice in this story,

gave a heartbreaking statement on behalf of the family. My name is Pamela Dias. I am the mother of Ojika Owens, who was shot and killed by Susan Lawrence. I stand before you with the burden of articulating and conveying the death of our grief and the trauma that Susan Morinz inflicted on our lives. And to also share the devastating impact that Susan caused when she fatally shot my daughter, Ajika Owens, on June 7. 2nd of 2003.

It is virtually impossible to convey all of the ways Susan has devastated our lives. Now Lawrence may have chosen not to testify in her own defense during the trial, but she certainly had a lot to say during sentencing, speaking for nearly 15 minutes. This woman

kept coming after me, kept coming after me. I had approached her because I was watering my plants and she's going, oh, there's a crazy old white lady. And I'm like, you can't. can't just go around saying someone's crazy. It was insanity. So I went to say something to her and she verbally attacked me again. She's like, you've been calling my kids racist names and stuff. I said, no, ma'am, I have not. And she kept getting angrier and angrier. The more I said,

no, the angrier she got. So finally I said, I was terrified. I mean, she went from a very relaxed position. A position here. I could see her neck pain starting to bulge. Her pulse is really getting you know, fast. And I'm thinking, she's going to beat the hell out of me right here in the street. So I said, listen, I'm sorry. That's what you think I said. I'm very sorry. I don't mean to offend anybody. I didn't say it, but I'm sorry. I went to walk away and she's falling one foot behind me the whole time to my apartment until I sit in the door in the face. Again, never had anyone do anything that apparent in my life. Lawrence did finally get around to apologizing to the people who is live, she completely ripped apart.

Well, maybe I should say sort of apologized. I would like to make a statement to A.J.'s mom, children, and friends. It is with heavy heart and great remorse. I write this letter to you. First and foremost, I am so sorry that I took A.J.'s life. I never intended to kill her. The night I shot that gun. I was confused as to why she was screaming and pounding.

on my door. I had an idea that I told her I had hit him. I could not understand why she was so angry. And she truly scared me. Now that I know, he told her I hit him. I am just profoundly sad. Not only did a mother die, but a daughter and a sister. I think of your family's loss. and know how hard it is to lose someone you love. I'll be able to see that person. How good that person or just talk to that person is such an empty feeling. I so wish I could go back and change things so that she was still here. I would trade my life so that she could be here if it were possible.

I know that you have all suffered from her loss and I have prayed for you and your family during this time so that you can do, that God could help you. Nothing I can do will change the outcome. I can only tell you I have cried and I feel horrible for my actions. Please accept my humble and sincere apology for this tragedy. Judge Robert Hodges didn't hold back as he considered what the punishment for Susan Lawrence should be, what she deserved for killing Owens. I look at the nature of the offense. You know, I find that the shooting, was completely unnecessary in this case. Ms. Lawrence was behind the door.

The door was locked. She had already called law enforcement. They were en route. She knew they were en route. She was in a relatively safe position. For some reason, she went into her room and found a gun. She could have stayed in the room and put another locked door between her and Ms. Owens, but she came back out, put herself in front of the door,

and at the time she fired the gun through the door, she was safe. Ms. Owens was simply, although she was clearly banging loudly and was probably very angry over the whole situation, it appears to be she was mostly demanding that Ms. Lawrence come outside, which would indicate she had no indication of coming inside the house. So when Ms. Lawrence fired the gun through the door, she did so knowing a person was directly on the other side of the door. So what I'm going to do in this case is the order is assuming adjudicated guilty of manslaughter with the firearm. Order served 25 years in Department of Corrections.

He's credit for $538 days. It's $100 cost of prosecution, $100 fine, court cost. Good luck, you, ma'am. You have 30 days to appeal. is serving her sentence at the Homestead Correctional Institution in Homestead, Florida. She did a prison interview, by the way, with WCJB in September of this year, completely stuck to her a story. That includes the allegation that the boys told her they were going to beat her up,

that Owens had said she was going to kill her. And by the way, as I mentioned, these are statements that witnesses said they did not hear. According to the Florida Department of Corrections website, Susan Lawrence's release date is set for April 8th, 2048. And that's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar. everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcasts. You can follow me on X or Instagram. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time. or Spotify.