Why Susan Lorincz, Who Killed a Black Mom of Four, Thinks She Deserves A Light Sentence

When Susan Lorincz was found guilty of killing her neighbor, Ajike Owens, we thought it would be the end of this tragic story. But now, Lorincz is back after filing a motion requesting a reduced sentence.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view

Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach

view video

Stefon Diggs and Cardi B Viral Boat Video Prompts Response from Patriots Coach

The Root previously reported in August, an all-white Florida jury took hours to deliberate in the trial where Lorincz was charged with manslaughter. Lorincz reportedly shot Owens, a mother of four, from behind her door during a 2023 dispute. She has yet to be sentenced for the crime, but now she’s pleading for a lighter or “downward departure” of the sentence.

According to Fox 35, Lorincz’s attorney is arguing she needs mental health treatments, which is why they’re asking for a lighter sentence. They also claim the 60-year-old woman acted “under extreme duress” during the fatal shooting. Lorincz is facing up to 30 years behind bars for the crime.

When Owens’ children told their mother Lorincz, their neighbor, threw roller skates at them while yelling racial slurs as they played in a field area near her home, the mother went to Lorincz’s house to confront her. According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the two women had previous altercations, much of those concerning Owens’ children.

Owens began knocking on Lorincz door, and that’s when the 60-year-old pulled out a gun and shot the mother through the door. Owens was pronounced dead at the scene.

The older woman called the police. And when authorities arrives, Lorincz claimed self defense, saying she feared for her life, however witnesses to the crime in addition to other damning evidence told a different story in court. She was originally charged with second-degree murder, but her charges were dropped to manslaughter, The Root reported.

Months after her guilty verdict, the motion for a reduced sentence claims Owens was “an initiator, willing participant, aggressor, or provoker of the incident” that led to her killing, reports Fox 35. The motion also states Lorincz’s “capacity to appreciate the criminal nature of the conduct or to conform that conduct to the requirements of the law was substantially impaired.”

She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25.