MARION COUNTY, Fla. – The family of a mother of four shot and killed in Ocala earlier this month during a neighborhood feud is calling out the state attorney’s office for deciding against pursuing a murder charge against the suspect.
William Gladson, the state attorney for the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida, on Monday filed a formal manslaughter charge against Susan Lorincz, 58, who is accused of shooting and killing Ajike “AJ” Owens, 35. Gladson also filed an assault charge against Lorincz, who faces up to 30 years in prison.
Owens’ family, which had been calling on the state attorney’s office to upgrade the charges to murder, held a virtual news conference Tuesday morning to discuss the formal filings.
“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 wrote in a release.
Gladson said, in part, in a statement regarding the filings that “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.”
The victim’s family and their attorneys expressed disappointment in the decision.
“We are devastated,” Pamela Dias, Owens’ mother, said in a statement. “How do I explain to AJ’s children, my young grandbabies, that the loss of their mother’s life is still not being taken seriously? Only a living breathing AJ would be true justice, and today’s charge could not be further from that.”
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said Owens was shot moments after going to the apartment of Lorincz, who had yelled at Owens’ children as they played in a nearby lot. He also said Lorincz had thrown a pair of skates that hit one of the children.
When interviewed, Lorincz claimed that she acted in self-defense and that Owens had been trying to break down her door prior to her discharging her firearm. Lorincz also claimed that Owens had come after her in the past and had previously attacked her. Through their investigation – including obtaining the statements of eyewitnesses – detectives were able to establish that Lorincz’s actions were not justifiable under Florida law, a statement from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
A neighbor who helped Owens’ children the night of the shooting said Lorincz often antagonized children in the neighborhood, including her own. The neighbor said Lorincz would use racial slurs and other insults against the children.
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