Susan Lorincz Trial Day 3: State rests in trial of woman accused of shooting, killing neighbor through door
OCALA, Fla. - The defense has officially rested its case in the trial to determine whether Susan Lorincz will go to prison for the manslaughter of Ajike "AJ" Owens.
On Day 3 of the trial, the jury heard only from experts who weighed in on what the situation may have been like for Lorincz at the moment. However, the state questioned the credibility of these experts.
The prosecution argued that while Susan Lorincz may have been scared when she heard AJ Owens pounding on her door in June 2023, she was never under any real threat and was not justified in using deadly force.
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The defense called Roy Bedard, a law enforcement trainer, to the stand.
"Anxiety is caused by not necessarily the threat, but how you appraise the threat," Bedard said. "That’s based on what you think your coping mechanisms are."
The state pointed out that the expert witness had no medical or psychological training.
Also on the stand Thursday, a ballistics expert mapped out where Lorincz may have been standing when her attorneys say she fired her weapon, shooting and killing Owens. The state’s rebuttal noted that Lorincz did not attempt to seek further shelter from what she says she viewed as a threat.
"You would agree the defendant did not fire from behind this kitchen counter," Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith asked.
"I would agree with that," answered forensic ballistics expert Joshua Wright.
The defense used the model to argue that Lorincz’s account of the shooting is accurate.
"That visualization that we just watched, was that consistent with the physical evidence and everything you reviewed in this case?" Chief Assistant Public Defender Amanda Sizemore asked.
"Yes," answered 3D forensic analyst Toby Terpstra.
In other words, if she was right about this, it stands to reason she would also be right about other details. This testimony came in response to the video shown Wednesday, in which detectives told Lorincz that her story didn’t align with what they had heard from every witness they questioned.
"Is your memory about this incident affected in some way?" the detectives asked Lorincz in their interview following the shooting.
The state had only this to say about that witness:
"You’ve been paid $14,000 to create a computer animation that you took some artistic liberty in."
The judge asked Lorincz whether she wanted to testify on her own behalf. She declined.
Closing arguments from both sides will take place on Friday morning. The judge will then give the jury their instructions, and deliberations are expected to begin around lunchtime. The jury could render its verdict as soon as Friday afternoon.