A Florida state attorney said on Monday (26 June) that he will not be prosecuting the white woman who was suspected of shooting her black neighbor through the door. In connection with the June 2 shooting death of Ajike Owens, Susan Lorincz has been accused with manslaughter by firearm and assault.
State Attorney William Gladson stated that his office determined that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Lorincz with murder. To charge Lorincz with murder, prosecutors would need to present evidence of hatred, spite, ill will, or evil intent toward the victim at the time of the homicide.
Gladson said –
“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.”
“As is always true in criminal cases, failure to prove beyond a reasonable doubt even one element of a crime will result in a not guilty verdict. Given the facts in this case, aiming a firearm at the door, and pulling the trigger is legally insufficient to prove depraved mind.”
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office had also charged Lorincz with culpable negligence and battery, but based on witness testimony, Gladson’s office will not pursue these charges. Gladson stated that he would not be pressured by community pressure or public opinion to file charges.
He said –
“Simply stated, my obligation is to follow the law. Understandably, emotions run high, particularly with senseless, violent crimes. However, I cannot allow any decision to be influenced by public sentiment, angry phone calls or further threats of violence, as I have received in this case.”
“To allow that to happen would also be improper and a violation of my oath as a prosecutor and as a lawyer.”
Do you know that after a lower court found that a North Carolina charter school’s policy requiring female students to wear skirts for the sake of “chivalry” was unconstitutional, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case on Monday (26 June):
If convicted, Lorincz faces up to 30 years in prison. Following Lorincz’s bond hearing on June 9, Owens’ family counsel Anthony Thomas formally requested that the most serious charge be upgraded from manslaughter to second-degree murder. He expressed profound disappointment that Gladson was not pursuing homicide charges.
Thomas said –
“All the evidence unequivocally supports the elevation of this charge to second-degree murder.”
“We firmly believe that justice demands nothing less. The failure of the prosecutor to charge Susan with what truly reflected her wanton, reckless behavior undermines our ability to even get real accountability. Nevertheless, our resolve remains unwavering, and we will continue to fight.”
Owens’ mother, Pamela Dias, stated that she did not know how to explain the accusations to her grandchildren.
She said –
“Only a living breathing AJ would be true justice, and today’s charge could not be further from that.”
After the shooting, many in the community demanded the suspect’s detention immediately. Officers waited several days before arresting Lorincz while they investigated the role of the state’s “stand your ground” laws in the shooting. The 2005 “stand your ground” law in Florida allows people to use deadly force if they believe their lives are in danger.
According to Sheriff Billy Woods, the shooting was the culmination of a 2.5-year conflict between the neighbors. Owens’ children playing in a field close to her apartment had infuriated Lorincz. In the months preceding the murder, the alleged shooter admitted to calling the victim’s children racial obscenities, including “the n-word.”
Ben Crump, a civil rights attorney and one of the attorneys representing Owens’ family, urged the state attorney’s office to “zealously prosecute” the attacker. Crump stated previously, “This is not a difficult case.”
