Murder of Jorge Torres
| Murder of Jorge Torres | |
|---|---|
| Location | Winter Park, Florida, U.S. |
| Date | February 24, 2020 c. 11:00 p.m. (EST) |
Attack type | Murder by suffocation, mariticide |
| Weapon | Suitcase |
| Victim | Jorge Torres Jr., aged 42 |
| Perpetrator | Sarah Boone |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Convictions | Second-degree murder |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment without the possibility of parole |
Jorge Torres Jr., a 42-year-old American man, suffocated to death on February 24, 2020, in Winter Park, Florida after being zipped into a suitcase. Jorge's height was 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) and he weighed 103 pounds (47 kg).[1]
His girlfriend, then 42-year-old Sarah Boone, was arrested the following day for second-degree murder after agreeing to a police interview. She was convicted on October 25, 2024 and subsequently sentenced to life in prison.
Boone's legal proceedings drew attention in part from Boone's written correspondance with the judge and a number of defense lawyers withdrawing from the case.[2]
Background
[edit]Prior to his death, Torres had been arrested multiple times for alleged instances of domestic violence against Boone and she had been arrested one time for an alleged instance of domestic violence against Torres. Boone had been arrested once for alleged battery by strangulation against Torres in July 2018 when both Boone and Torres were arrested; however, her charge in that case was dismissed. Torres had been arrested four times for alleged battery against Boone; Boone bailed Torres out of jail each time.[3]
Incident
[edit]On February 24, 2020, Sarah Boone called 9-1-1 and told them that her boyfriend, Jorge Torres, was dead. Boone claimed that she and Torres had a single bottle of wine and then decided to play hide-and-seek. She claimed that they thought it would be funny to put him in the suitcase, and that they were both laughing. She stated that she then went upstairs and accidentally fell asleep, leaving Torres in the suitcase.[4] Torres' death was ruled a homicide.[5]
During the on-site investigation, Sarah Boone willingly turned over her phone to forensic investigators. A search of the phone found two videos that Boone had taken the night before. The videos showed Boone laughing as Torres pled for help inside the suitcase, with Boone stating, "That's what you do when you choke me" and "That's what I feel like when you cheat on me".[6] Boone was interviewed by Detectives at the Police department the following day. Boone stated that she did not remember recording the videos.[5][7][8]
Trial
[edit]Boone was subsequently charged with second-degree murder for killing Torres and held in Orange County jail without bail. Eight different attorneys who represented her withdrew, seven of them being court appointed.[9] Judge Michael Kraynick ruled that Boone had forfeited her right to court-appointed counsel.[10][11][12] On July 18, 2024, at a hearing where Boone was representing herself, she submitted a letter which included a hand drawn advertisement for a lawyer.[13] The advertisement was circulated by media reporting on the filing, and Boone found representation by attorney James Owens.[14] Owens met with state prosecutors about a possible plea agreement to the charge of manslaughter in exchange for a 15-year sentence, which Boone ultimately rejected.[15][16]
After multiple delays, including one due to Hurricane Milton, the trial began on October 14, 2024.[17] A jury of six with eight alternates was sworn in, and on October 18, 2024, Assistant State Attorney William Jay began opening arguments.[18] The defense argued that Boone suffered from battered woman syndrome.[19][20] Assistant State Attorney Dave Cacciatore Jr. began closing arguments on October 25, 2024, and on the same day after less than two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a guilty verdict for second-degree murder. On December 2, 2024, Sarah Boone was sentenced to life in the Florida Department of Corrections.[21][22]
References
[edit]- ^ "Trial of Winter Park woman accused of leaving boyfriend in suitcase to die". Spectrum News 13.
- ^ Silver, Lauren (June 25, 2024). "'I AM NOT THE PROBLEM': Sarah Boone submits 58-page letter to court". COURT TV. Retrieved December 8, 2024.
- ^ "Sarah Boone case: What to know about Winter Park woman facing murder charge after boyfriend dies in suitcase". FOX 35 Orlando. October 18, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ Delandro, Taylor (March 13, 2023). "Florida woman charged after boyfriend dies in suitcase". Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ a b Dobrzyn, Erin (May 27, 2020). "Report: Man died of asphyxiation after girlfriend locked him in suitcase for 'up to 11 hours'". WKMG. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ Staff, FOX 35 Digital (June 7, 2024). "Sarah Boone case: Florida woman who allegedly put boyfriend in suitcase accuses her lawyer of lying". FOX 35 Orlando. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Laviola, Erin (February 26, 2020). "Sarah Boone: Florida Woman Left Boyfriend to Die in Suitcase, Cops Say". Heavy.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ "Sarah Boone case: Attorney plans to argue battered spouse defense in 2020 death of Boone's boyfriend". FOX 35 Orlando. January 17, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- ^ Reporter, Jenna Sundel (September 4, 2024). "Alleged suitcase killer Sarah Boone nabs 9th lawyer with handwritten flyer". Newsweek. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ "Sarah Boone case: Florida woman charged in suitcase murder has gone through 7 lawyers, court docs reveal". FOX 35 Orlando. April 25, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
- ^ "Eight is enough: Judge rules Sarah Boone forfeits right to attorney". Court TV. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ "Sarah Boone loses 8th lawyer, must now represent herself in Florida murder trial, judge rules". www.fox35orlando.com. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
- ^ Brown, Ivy. "Sarah Boone, searching for 9th attorney, represents herself at hearing". Court TV. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ Sundel, Jenna (September 4, 2024). "Alleged Suitcase Killer Sarah Boone Nabs 9th Lawyer With Handwritten Flyer". Newsweek. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ Reporter, Jenna Sundel (October 14, 2024). "Sarah Boone's long-delayed murder trial begins for alleged suitcase killing". Newsweek. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ "Florida woman to be sentenced Monday in suitcase murder trial". KPAX News. December 1, 2024. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Morgan, Silas (October 7, 2024). "Hurricane delays murder trial of accused suitcase killer Defendant Sarah Boone rejects plea deal for manslaughter". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ Quezada, Angie (October 22, 2024). "TIMELINE: Where things stand for Sarah Boone, Florida woman accused in suitcase death". News 6. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
- ^ McLaughlin, Katie (September 8, 2023). "Sarah Boone attorney formally withdraws, won't let her call him a 'buffoon'". Court TV. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ Eady, Aurielle (January 15, 2024). "Sarah Boone: January trial date canceled for Florida woman accused of murder after boyfriend dies in suitcase". Yahoo News. FOX 35 Orlando. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
- ^ Baker, KC; Brachfeld, Ben (December 2, 2024). "Florida Woman Gets Life in Prison After Zipping Boyfriend in Suitcase Overnight in Drunken Hide-and-Seek Game". People. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
- ^ Parry, Hannah (December 2, 2024). "Sarah Boone Sentenced to Life After Claiming Prison Was One of Her 'Greatest Experiences'". Newsweek. Retrieved December 14, 2024.