What is The Perfect Neighbor about? Inside chilling documentary coming to Netflix

Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor is a must-watch for true crime enthusiasts, but what’s the story behind the horrific case the streamer’s latest documentary is based on?

The new feature film will be releasing on Netflix in just over a week’s time, so there’s not long to wait before subscribers can discover another hair-raising murder case.

All told through bodycam footage that will give viewers an intensely close look at the shocking details of a killing that occurred just two years ago.

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But what do we know about the real-life case before the new film directed by Geeta Gandbhir pulls back the curtain?

Let’s take a closer look at some of the harrowing events that will be explored in Netflix’s latest true crime sensation.

What is The Perfect Neighbor based on?

The Perfect Neighbor is based on the killing of Ajike ‘AJ’ Shantrell Owens, which happened in Ocala, Florida on 2nd June, 2023.

Owens was shot and killed by her 58-year-old neighbour Susan Lorincz, who was found guilty of manslaughter.

The documentary will delve into their contentious history of feuds, which led to at least half a dozen calls for deputies to respond to since January 2021.

Another resident from the neighbourhood who lived across from Lorincz claimed she was angry that Owens’ children would play outside her home, while a detective said she admitted to calling them racial slurs after her arrest.

The shooting occurred after another argument involving Owens and her children, in which Lorincz allegedly threw a roller-skate at one of them and swung an umbrella at another.

Owens’ children told their mother about the incident, who then went to knock on Lorincz’s door to confront her accompanied by her 10-year-old son. Lorincz proceeded to shoot her through the door.

She claimed the shooting was in self-defence, having already called 911 and claiming Owens was trying to “break down her door”.

Lorincz called 911 a second time after shooting Owens, who was found by deputies lying on the grass with a gunshot wound. She was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The shooter was arrested five days later, on June 7th, 2023, and charged with manslaughter with a firearm, culpable negligence, battery and two counts of assault.

The case sparked debates around the USA’s stand-your-ground law, which justifies the use of deadly force when someone has reason to believe they are under genuine threat from a violent crime.

Sheriff Billy Woods said during a press conference: “This situation is a prime example of when it was not justified. It was simply a killing.”

On 16th August, 2024, Lorincz was found guilty of manslaughter and in November last year she was sentenced to 25 years in prison, which she is currently serving in Homestead Correctional Institution in Homestead, Florida.

The Perfect Neighbor will be released on Friday, 17th October on Netflix.