Monday was jury selection in the trial of Susan Lorincz, the woman accused of shooting and killing an Ocala mother named Ajike “AJ” Owens.
Lorincz is charged with manslaughter with a firearm. That’s a first-degree felony, meaning prosecutors believe Lorincz is responsible for Owens’ death, regardless of whether she meant to kill her.
The state, the defense, and the judge were all trying to figure out who would be a good fit for this case. They tried to weed out any biases, starting with a huge group and whittling it down.
Also in court Monday was Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias.
“To pursue and fight for justice for my daughter,” she said.
She said she’s now taking care of her daughter’s four children.
“Today is the very first day of school for the children, as you all may be aware. It was a very emotional day,” Dias added.
Monday was dedicated to finding the six jurors and two alternates who will decide whether Lorincz is guilty of manslaughter.
The judge told jurors that Owens went to confront Lorincz about her treatment of Owens’ children. Lorincz is accused of firing a shot through her door, which hit and killed Owens.
“This case, I’ll tell you, has had some pre-trial publicity in the past,” Judge Robert Hodges warned. “Set aside anything you’ve heard so you can hear this case fairly without any sort of improper influence.”
The manslaughter trial for Susan Lorincz, the woman accused of shooting her neighbor, mother of four Ajike “AJ” Owens, through her front door, officially began Tuesday.
A jury of six, plus two alternates, was selected and sworn in on Monday.
Lorincz, who has remained in custody in Marion County on one charge of manslaughter with a firearm, was arrested on June 2, 2023, after fatally shooting Owens after a confrontation.
The trial of Susan Lorincz for manslaughter with a firearm began on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
Owens went to Lorincz’s home to speak to her about a dispute with her children, and at some point, Lorincz allegedly fired a shot through the front door, which hit and killed Owens.
Racial slurs, 911 call in focus during Susan Lorincz’s final hearing before AJ Owens manslaughter trial
Lorincz’s defense team maintains that she shot Owens in self-defense.
The jury in this trial will decide whether Lorincz, who recently turned 59 years old, will be sent to prison – possibly until she’s 90.
Public defender Morris Carranza (left) and Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith (right) made their opening statements in the Susan Lorincz manslaughter trial on Aug. 13, 2024.
The prosecution outlined the events leading up to the shooting, focusing on a summer night in 2023 when neighborhood children were playing near Lorincz’s house.
Newly revealed video footage shows Lorincz filming the children as they played in a nearby field, where some roller skates had been left behind. Lorincz allegedly threw a roller skate at the children, telling them to “Go fetch,” and then waved an umbrella at them. When the children threatened to tell their mother, Lorincz reportedly responded, “Go tell your mom, I don’t care!”
Around 9 p.m., Lorincz called 911, complaining about the children trespassing and leaving toys behind. She claimed the children had threatened to beat her up and kill her. The dispatcher assured her that a unit would be sent, and Lorincz said she was inside her house with the doors locked.
The central question, according to the prosecution, is whether Lorincz was justified in shooting. They argue that Lorincz’s earlier interactions with the children, including telling them to get their mother, imply she was not in fear for her life.
The prosecution also highlighted previous incidents involving Lorincz and Owens. Sixteen months prior, Lorincz claimed Owens had attacked her with a “No Trespassing” sign, but no arrest was made. Lorincz had also called 911 six months earlier, alleging that Owens had threatened her, but again, no arrests were made. In her post-shooting interview, Lorincz did not mention feeling scared during those earlier encounters, prosecutors said.
The defense intends to call an educational psychologist specializing in the use of force and decision-making under stress to testify about how people respond in situations like the one Lorincz faced.
“The death of AJ Owens is a tragedy; there’s no doubt about that,” the defense stated. “But what the evidence will show is that in her mind, in her soul, in her core, Susan Lorincz felt she had no choice but to fire through that door. It was either Susan or AJ, and Susan chose to defend herself.”
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