By Sarah Boone, a woman accused of leaving her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, to die after he was zipped into a suitcase in their Winter Park, Florida, residence, has been found guilty of second-degree murder by a jury in central Florida. The verdict was delivered on Friday evening, four years after Boone’s initial arrest, following a brief 90-minute deliberation by the jurors.
According to an arrest report, Boone initially told detectives with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office that she and Torres had been playing hide-and-seek while intoxicated on Feb. 23, 2020. They thought it would be amusing for Torres to get into the suitcase. Boone claimed she went to sleep, believing her boyfriend could get out of the suitcase on his own. However, when she woke up the next morning, she found Torres unresponsive inside the suitcase.
Detectives charged Boone with murder after discovering incriminating videos on her cellphone. The videos showed Torres yelling from inside the suitcase, saying he couldn’t breathe and repeatedly calling out Boone’s name. In one of the videos, Boone can be heard saying, “Yeah that’s what you do when you choke me. Oh, that’s what I feel like when you cheat on me,” according to the arrest report.
During her trial, Boone testified that past violent incidents between her and Torres led her to perceive a threat of imminent harm, prompting her to act in self-defense by keeping him in the suitcase.
An autopsy report revealed that Torres had suffered scratches on his back and neck, contusions to his shoulder, skull, and forehead from blunt force trauma, and a cut near his busted lip.
The trial, which lasted 10 days, was delayed due to Boone going through several attorneys since her arrest. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 2 and faces up to life in prison.
The case has garnered significant attention due to the unusual and tragic circumstances surrounding Torres’ death. The verdict brings a measure of closure to the victim’s family and friends, who have been seeking justice for the past four years.
As the sentencing date approaches, the court will consider the evidence presented during the trial and the impact of the crime on the victim’s loved ones before determining Boone’s punishment for her role in this shocking and devastating incident.
___ Associated Press reporter Michael Schneider in Orlando contributed to this report. Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
