ORLANDO, Fla. (Court TV) — A verdict has been reached in the much-awaited and delayed trial for a woman accused of murdering her longtime boyfriend by zipping him inside of a suitcase and leaving him to die.
Sarah Boone was convicted of second-degree murder for the death of Jorge Torres Jr., who was found dead inside a suitcase inside the couple’s shared apartment on the morning of Feb. 24, 2020.
Sarah Boone smiles ahead of opening statements in her murder trial. (Court TV)
In a series of interviews at the scene and the next day at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Boone told investigators that Torres had willingly gotten into the suitcase while the couple was playing hide-and-seek after a night of drinking.
Key evidence in the prosecutor’s case included two videos found on Boone’s phone that were recorded while Torres was in the suitcase. The videos feature the victim begging to be let out, with Boone laughing and taunting him. Boone told police she went up to bed shortly after the videos were taken and fell asleep, leaving Torres inside the luggage.
Boone was represented at trial by James Owens, her ninth attorney in the case, who volunteered to step in as her lawyer after Judge Michael Kraynick ruled she had forfeited her right to an attorney. That ruling followed eight other attorneys withdrawing from the case, citing Boone’s behavior as an issue. Boone was vocal about her own defense, writing a number of letters to the judge and even creating an advertisement for a lawyer that eventually caught Owens’ attention.
Owens had filed an intent to use battered spouse syndrome as a defense in the case, and cited years of domestic abuse and arrests in Boone and Torres’ relationship.
On Oct. 7, Boone rejected a plea offer from prosecutors that would have sent her to prison for 15 years for pleading guilty to manslaughter. Boone faces a minimum of 16+ years to life in prison.
Sentencing is set for December 2, 2024.
DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS
DAY 6 – 10/25/24
- Sarah Boone was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Jorge Torres Jr.
- WATCH: ‘Hope You’re Miserable’: Jury Sees Sarah Boone’s Text Messages
- WATCH: Sarah Boone Asks For Mistrial, Citing Victim’s Emotional Family
- WATCH: State: ‘Jorge Torres Took His Last, Panicked Breaths in This Box’
- WATCH: Suitcase Murder Trial: Defense Closing Argument
- WATCH: Suitcase Murder Trial: Prosecution Rebuttal
DAY 5 – 10/24/24
- WATCH: Jury Sees Bodycam Footage From 2018 Incident Between Boone and Torres
- WATCH: Jury Hears Audio From Sarah Boone’s 911 Call
- WATCH: Bodycam Footage of Jorge Torres’ Arrest for Domestic Violence Is Shown
DAY 4 – 10/23/24
- Orange County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy Jessica Ramirez-Delgado and Cpl. John Alden testified to previous domestic incidents they responded to at Torres and Boone’s apartment.
- The defense recalled Det. Chelsey Koepsell to ask about previous incidents of domestic violence that had been reported to police.
- Dr. Michael Brannon (who also testified at Marcia Thompson’s trial) testified as an expert witness about battered spouse syndrome.
- Due to repeated objections by the protection, Brannon was not allowed to speak to Boone’s case specifically and could only talk about the diagnosis in hypotheticals.
- The jury saw videos extracted from Boone’s phone that showed Torres beating a television with a baseball bat.
- Pearl Walker, a neighbor in the apartment complex where Boone and Torres lived, testified that she saw Boone with injuries.
- Dr. Julie Harper testified her analysis found Boone has narcissistic personality traits, but did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder. She also diagnosed Boone with anxiety and PTSD and said that the defendant was suffering from battered spouse syndrome when Torres died.
DAY 3 – 10/22/24
- Sarah Boone takes the stand in her own defense.
- Boone described the game of hide-and-seek she was playing with Torres and explained why she left him zipped inside a suitcase.
- Boone told the jury, ‘My fear was he was going to break out the suitcase,’ when she hit Torres with a bat.
- Boone testified about the incidents of past violence she allegedly suffered at the hands of Torres.
- Boone was asked whether she did anything to help Torres escape from the predicament that she zipped him up in, responding, ‘No.’
DAY 2 – 10/21/24
- Prosecutors showed a video of Jorge Torres begging to be released from a suitcase as Sarah Boone taunts him.
- The jury saw Sarah Boone’s police interrogation video.
DAY 1 – 10/18/24
- The prosecution and defense delivered opening statements.
- Prosecutor William Jay read a transcript of the video of Jorge Torres in a suitcase in his opening statement.
- Defense attorney James Owens told the jury Sarah Boone suffered repeated physical violence from Jorge Torres and she acted to protect herself.
- Vincent Battaglia told the jury that Sarah Boone once told him not to say anything about the arguing he heard through the walls of his home.
- Brian Boone, the defendant’s ex-husband, testified that Sarah called him to let him know Torres was dead. He advised her to call 911.
- The jury hears the 911 call made by Sarah Boone. In the audio Boone is heard telling the dispatcher that Jorge Torres Jr. ‘Is purple.’
- The jury saw bodycam video from Deputy Kayla Rodriguez when she responded to Boone’s 911 call.
- Crime scene investigator Melissa Roughgarden shows the jury the suitcase in which Sarah Boone allegedly left Jorge Torres inside to die.
- WATCH: Suitcase Murder Trial: Day 1 Recap
