A Florida woman, Sarah Boone, 47, was found guilty of second-degree murder on Friday for zipping her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., 42, in a suitcase and leaving him to die in 2020.
According to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Boone told authorities that Torres got trapped in the suitcase and died during a game of hide-and-seek after the couple had been drinking chardonnay and doing puzzles in their Winter Park apartment. They thought “it would be funny” for Torres to hop in the suitcase as part of the game.
When Boone zipped Torres into the blue suitcase, two of his fingers stuck out, leading her to assume he could open it. She went to bed, expecting him to get himself out and join her, only to wake up and find him still in the suitcase, not breathing.
During the 10-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence that included videos found on Boone’s phone, in which Torres could be heard frantically pleading to be released while Boone laughed and taunted him. “In the videos she recorded, the victim could be heard telling the defendant he could not breathe and asking to be let out of the suitcase,” a release from State Attorney Andrew Bain’s office said. “Boone responded with, ‘That’s what you get,’ ‘That’s what I feel like when you cheat on me’ and other taunts.”
Boone’s defense argued that she was suffering from “Battered Spouse Syndrome” and was in fear for her life, according to CNN affiliate WFTV. Boone also testified that she thought Torres could get out of the suitcase on his own.
After the verdict, Boone’s attorney, James Owens, expressed disappointment, stating, “Just shock. She’s shocked, you know. She felt like, you know, she had a defense, as you know.” The family of Torres was emotional and declined to speak with the media, CNN affiliate WESH reported.
Boone is scheduled to be sentenced on December 2 at 1:30 p.m., according to the release from the state attorney’s office. The case has garnered significant attention due to the unusual circumstances surrounding Torres’ death and the disturbing evidence presented during the trial.
