Susan Louise Lorincz and Ajike “AJ” Owens (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
Prosecutors in Florida have decided not to file murder charges against a 58-year-old white woman who admitted to shooting and killing her neighbor, a Black 35-year-old mother of four, by firing a gun through her locked front door as the victim stood on the porch knocking. Prosecutors on Monday announced that they formally charged Susan Lorincz with one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault for the fatal shooting of Ajike “AJ” Owens earlier this month, reasoning that there was “insufficient evidence” to prove she committed murder.
The decision goes against a public outcry from the victim’s family and community leaders that Lorincz should face murder charges for killing Owens.
According to a press release from the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney William Gladson, prosecutors performed a thorough analysis of possible charges before declining to pursue a murder charge against Lorincz.
“In making the filing decision on this case, my office carefully examined the viability of both second degree murder and manslaughter with a firearm, both first degree felonies,” Gladson said in the release. “In order to prove the crime of second degree murder, the State must prove beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt, the existence of a depraved mind toward the victim at the time of the killing. Depraved mind requires evidence of hatred, spite, ill will or evil intent toward the victim at the time of the killing. As deplorable as the defendant’s actions were in this case, there is insufficient evidence to prove this specific and required element of second degree murder.”
Owens’ family has previously claimed that Lorincz regularly antagonized Owens and her children, allegedly calling them the “n-word” and “slaves” on several occasions.
Lorincz has repeatedly claimed that she was in fear for her life from Owens and fired the gun through her locked front door in self-defense as Owens was standing on her porch.
Gladson explained that the facts of the case — “aiming a firearm at the door, and pulling the trigger” — were not sufficient to legally show that Lorincz was acting with a “depraved mind” at the time of the shooting. The prosecutor said that case law is clear and “has consistently held that extreme recklessness or impulsive overreactions are, in and of themselves, insufficient to prove second-degree murder.”
Counts of misdemeanor assault, culpable negligence, and misdemeanor battery included in Lorincz’s arrest warrant were also not filed. Prosecutors said that sworn testimony provided by one of Owens’ children indicated that a roller skate allegedly thrown by Lorincz prior to the shooting did not actually strike the child as previously believed, a required element of battery. Another child also provided a statement saying they were not “in fear” during the pre-shooting altercation with Lorincz, which prosecutors say is a required element of assault.
Gladson emphasized he was aware that the victim’s family and prominent members of the community had a desire for murder charges in the case, but said his actions were dictated by the law and nothing more.
“I am aware of the desire of the family, and some community members, that the defendant be charged with second degree murder. My obligation as State Attorney is to follow the law in each case that I prosecute. I did so in this case, and while some may not agree with that decision, I can assure you that the decision was thoughtful and made without consideration of any factors other than the specific facts of this terrible crime,” Gladson said. “Understandably, emotions run high, particularly with senseless, violent crimes. However, I cannot allow any decision to be influenced by public sentiment, angry phone calls or further threats of violence, as I have received in this case. To allow that to happen would also be improper and a violation of my oath as a prosecutor and as a lawyer.”
If convicted on the manslaughter charge, Lorincz will face a maximum penalty of up to 30 years in a state correctional facility.
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