A white woman from Florida facing manslaughter charges for fatally shooting her Black neighbor during an ongoing conflict informed the court that she would not testify in her defense as the trial concluded. Susan Lorincz, the defendant, confirmed to the Marion County Circuit Judge that she made the decision independently after consultation with her legal team and without any coercion.
Following the decision, the defense concluded its presentation after calling upon three expert witnesses specializing in ballistics and crime scenes. The prosecution wrapped up their case the previous day. Lorincz, aged 60, could potentially face a prison sentence of up to 30 years if found guilty of the June 2023 shooting of her 35-year-old neighbor, Ajike “A.J.” Owens, in Ocala, Florida.
The dispute between the two individuals had been ongoing, primarily concerning Owens’ four children playing loudly near Lorincz’s residence. On the night of the shooting, Owens had reportedly been banging on Lorincz’s door and shouting loudly after Lorincz allegedly threw roller skates and an umbrella at the children. Lorincz fired a single shot from her .380-caliber handgun through the door, striking Owens in the chest and causing her death.
Closing arguments from both the prosecution and defense are scheduled for Friday morning, followed by instructions to the all-white jury of six members by the judge. Subsequently, the jury will commence deliberations in the case. The jurors were informed by Judge Hodges that they can take as much time as necessary for their deliberations.
Even though Lorincz did not take the witness stand, recordings of interviews between detectives and Lorincz were played by the prosecution, where she asserted that she acted in self-defense out of fear for her life. In contrast, Owens’ family and their legal representatives maintain that Lorincz’s intentions were to harm Owens right from the start.
The case attracted national attention when protests arose in the Black community while authorities deliberated for weeks on whether to charge Lorincz with second-degree murder or manslaughter before ultimately settling on the latter. Ocala is situated approximately 80 miles northwest of Orlando in central Florida.