Netflix viewers have been left profoundly moved by the streaming giant's latest true crime documentary: The Perfect Neighbor. The film tells the tragic real-life story of Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens, who was shot and killed by Susan Lorincz.
“Watching The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix [and] crying my eyes out,” one viewer wrote on X, racking up thousands of likes in agreement. “The Perfect Neighbor is wild, infuriating, heartbreaking, and more. Watch it. It's a tough one, but important,” someone else posted, as a third described the documentary as “blood-boiling and heartbreaking.”
As well as eliciting a strong reaction from viewers, Netflix's The Perfect Neighbor also left us with a lot of questions, like who was AJ Owens? And where is her killer, Susan Loricz, now? We've already taken a deep-dive into those queries, and also looked at the details missing in the documentary as well as the heartbreaking scene that was cut. Now, we're catching up with AJ Owens' mom, Pamela Dias, to see where she is two years on from her daughter's tragic death...
Who is Pamela Dias?
Pamela Dias is the mother of Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens, who was murdered in 2023 by her neighbor. Dias appears in the final few scenes of The Perfect Neighbor documentary, consoling her daughter's four grieving children, attending the trial of Lorincz, and campaigning for justice.
Although Dias doesn't have many scenes in The Perfect Neighbor, the documentary would not have been able to happen without her. Director Geeta Gandbhir has spoken out about this plenty of times, explaining that Dias had a lot of say in what was included in the docu-film and why.
“I went to Pamela and asked her, ‘Is this something she would want to pursue?’” Gandbhir told Tudum of her first conversations with Dias about the documentary. “We were working together to make sure there was some sort of justice for Ajike,” she went on.
To that, Dias herself added: “When Geeta initially approached me about sharing the documentary, at that time I was very much consumed by grief. We didn't know what was going to happen, but with the prospect of a film, it gave my heart a sense of comfort, and it lightened a little bit of the burden that I was carrying. I actually had something that I could hold onto other than grief.”
Where is Pamela Dias now?
She's set up various fundraisers
Since Owens was tragically murdered in 2023, Dias has largely focused on fundraising, launching a charity in her daughter's name. In 2024, Dias set up the Standing in the Gap Fund to honor Owens and, according to the website, to “support families like AJ's who are suffering from loss and unsure of how to navigate the aftermath.”
As well as setting up the charity, Dias launched a GoFundMe to cover Owens' funeral and memorial expenses. Since the documentary's release, donations have continued to roll in, and the fundraiser has now been repurposed to help with the cost of Owens' children's education, living expenses, and rent.
Sharing an update on the GoFundMe, Dias said on October 22: “From our hearts, thank you to everyone who has donated, shared, and prayed for our family. Your love and generosity have helped us memorialize Ajike and keep her children—Isaac, Israel, Afrika, and Titus—safe, supported, and healing.”
“Every contribution honours Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens' memory and gives her children hope for the future,” she continued. “We are forever grateful for your kindness and strength.”
She's filed a case against Susan Lorincz
In addition to launching Standing in the Gap and the GoFundMe page, Dias filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Lorincz (and Charles Gabbard, the landlord of the premises where the shooting took place), seeking damages on behalf of Owens' children. The complaint was filed on 1 June 2025, according to WCJB News.
Per court records obtained by the news outlet, Dias is seeking at least $50,000 in damages. The case is ongoing.
She's raising her daughter's children
Speaking to USA Today two years on from Owens' murder, Dias said that “the pain has not subsided” and she misses her “tremendously.” This, she said, is made worse by seeing the ongoing impact on Owens' four children, whom she now raises.
“Seeing the pain in their eyes, it's never-ending,” Dias said, adding that while they're still “very much in pain,” they are also “very resilient.
Stream The Perfect Neighbor on Netflix now.
