ORLANDO, Fla.—Sarah Boone, a woman accused of second-degree murder for leaving her boyfriend to die after he was zipped into a suitcase, was found guilty by a central Florida jury. Four years after the arrest of Boone in the death of Jorge Torres, the jury delivered the verdict on Friday evening after deliberating for about 90 minutes. Boone had pleaded not guilty.
Initially, Boone told detectives that she and Torres were playing hide-and-seek on Feb. 23, 2020, in their Winter Park, Florida, residence when they decided it would be funny for Torres to get into the suitcase. They had been drinking, and Boone went to sleep, assuming her boyfriend could free himself from the suitcase. The next morning, she discovered Torres unresponsive inside the suitcase after unzipping it.
Detectives charged Boone with murder after finding videos on her cellphone showing Torres pleading for help and struggling to breathe while trapped inside the suitcase. During the trial, Boone testified that past violent encounters with Torres made her fear for her safety, leading her to believe she acted in self-defense by keeping him in the suitcase.
An autopsy report revealed injuries on Torres’ body consistent with blunt force trauma, including scratches, contusions, and a cut near his lip. Boone had multiple legal representation changes, causing delays in her 10-day trial. She is set to be sentenced on Dec. 2 and could face life in prison.
By Kate Payne
