Netflix The Perfect Neighbor: Pamela Dias’ life now after daughter Ajike Owens’ death

Pamela Dias, the mother of the late Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens, has continued to fight for justice and is working to support other families struggling with grief and loss

Netflix’s latest true crime documentary, The Perfect Neighbor, has received significant attention online for the heartbreaking story it covered.

Ajike “AJ” Owens was shot aged 35 by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, who had been complaining about the local kids to police for two years. Susan, 60, had taken Ajike’s son’s tablet and the mother-of-four was knocking on her neighbor’s door to retrieve it when she was fatally shot.

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At the end of the documentary, footage of Ajike’s memorial is shown, with her mother, Pamela Dias, speaking about her deceased daughter. She also comforts her grandchildren, some of whom saw their mother get killed.

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Where is Pamela Dias now?

Since Ajike’s death, Pamela has set up numerous fundraisers to help families suffering from loss. Pamela created the Standing in the Gap Fund in her daughter’s memory so that she could “support families like AJ’s who are suffering from loss and unsure of how to navigate the aftermath.”

As well as setting up this charity, Pamela also started a GoFundMe to cover Ajike’s medical costs and funeral. Since the documentary’s release, the donations have continued to come in, with the money now going to help with the cost of her grandchildren’s education, living expenses and rent.

Sharing an update on GoFundMe, Pamela wrote 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.”

Pamela is also raising Ajike’s children, telling USA Today, “Seeing the pain in their eyes, it’s never-ending.” However, she did note that the four kids are “very resilient.”

The documentary wouldn’t have been able to happen without her

According to The Perfect Neighbor’s creator, Geeta Gandbhir, there wouldn’t be a Netflix documentary without Ajike’s mother.

“I went to Pamela and asked her, ‘Is this something she would want to pursue?'” Greta told Tudum. “We were working together to make sure there was some sort of justice for Ajike.”

Speaking about her involvement, Pamela said, “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.”

Has Pamela taken Susan Lorincz to court over her daughter’s death?

Pamela filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her daughter’s killer, as well as Charles Gabbard, the landlord of the premises where the shooting took place.

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She is seeking at least $50,000 in damages for her four grandchildren, with the claim being filed on June 1, 2025. The case is ongoing.