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The Netflix true crime documentary “The Perfect Neighbor” has quickly climbed to the number one spot on the streaming platform — and for good reason. 

The shocking film follows the tragic case of Susan Lorincz, a Florida woman who shot and killed her neighbor, Ajike Owens, after a long feud over neighborhood disputes and children playing nearby. The heartbreaking story of Owens, a 35-year-old mother of four, unfolds through interviews, courtroom footage, and emotional community reactions.

Watch The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix

The Perfect Neighbor: A Tragic Confrontation

According to the documentary, the fatal incident occurred when Ajike Owens knocked on Lorincz’s door to retrieve her son’s tablet. The confrontation ended in tragedy when Lorincz fired through a locked door, killing Owens as her children watched.

Footage from a nearby doorbell camera captured parts of the incident, leaving audiences devastated. “You can hear the heartbreak in those moments,” one viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “It’s impossible to watch without crying.”

Throughout The Perfect Neighbor, Lorincz is portrayed as a woman who has long expressed irritation about neighborhood children.

 Witnesses and prosecutors described her as “hostile” and “verbally abusive,” often using racial slurs. She was later convicted of manslaughter, bringing some closure but not peace to Owens’ grieving family.

For more details on the case, see The Mirror’s coverage.

“The Perfect Neighbor” and the Mystery of “Dr. Lorincz”

One of the most talked-about moments in the film comes early on, when Lorincz insists to police officers, “Listen, my name is Dr. Lorincz. Don’t tell me to shut up.” Viewers were stunned to learn that Susan Lorincz was not, in fact, a doctor.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Pastor Shannon Lynn Harris of Anthony United Methodist Church testified that Lorincz helped church members with insurance issues because she “worked in the insurance industry.” Although she had medical field experience as an EMT paramedic in her twenties, she never earned a doctorate or practiced as a physician.

Forensic psychologist Dr. Yenys Castillo confirmed Lorincz had a history of trauma from working “near an airport” where she reportedly witnessed plane crash victims. But there is nothing to indicate she ever held a doctoral degree.

Online commentators were quick to react. “Nothing indicates she was a Doctor of any sort,” one Reddit user wrote. Another remarked, “I think she just threw in that ‘Dr.’ to make herself seem more respectable — classic narcissistic move.”