Susan Lorincz manslaughter trial: closing arguments on Friday

OCALA, Fla. – Defense attorneys called witnesses and concluded their arguments Thursday in the trial of an Ocala woman in the shooting death of one of her neighbors.

Susan Lorincz did not testify in her trial on charges of manslaughter and negligent homicide in the death of Ajike “Aj” Owens.

On the third day of the trial, Lorincz's defense attorneys called an expert witness to the witness stand who presented a visual reconstruction of the shooting.

Josh Wright, a ballistics and firearms expert who formerly worked for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, said he believes the bullet that struck Owens came from near the kitchen area of ​​Lorincz's home.

“It was probably about 12 to 15 feet long,” Wright said.

He confirmed to the defense attorney that this was consistent with the statements Lorincz made to law enforcement authorities.

But prosecutors tried to discredit the presentation by calling it a computer animation.

Under cross-examination, Wright confirmed that he had neither visited the crime scene nor examined the firearm used in the case.

Lorincz said she acted in self-defense because she feared for her life. However, prosecutors said there was no immediate threat because Owens did not have a weapon and Lorincz's door was locked.

In recorded interviews between investigators and Lorincz after the shooting, Lorincz said Owens' children had no respect for her.

She told investigators that there had been an ongoing problem for two years and that some of the children had allegedly thrown a ball at her truck.

She said that children had also been screaming, trespassing and leaving toys outside her home and that most of their arguments had been about Owens' children.

According to a police report from the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Lorincz told investigators that she was suffering from headaches on the day of the shooting and that children were running and screaming outside her apartment.

Several videos shot by Lorincz show children playing in a field in front of their house.

In recorded interviews, Lorincz said she told the children to leave the night of the shooting – and called 911.

Shortly afterward, Owens pounded on her door, Lorincz said. Authorities say Lorincz fired a single shot through the closed door and her neighbor was killed.

Lorincz said that during that encounter, she heard Owens say she wanted to kill her. However, investigators said during that interview that no witness claimed to have heard Owens say that.

The state completed its lawsuit on Wednesday.

Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday.

If convicted, Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison.