The victim recorded videos of her crying for help saying she could not breathe
A Florida woman has been found guilty of second-degree murder after authorities concluded she stuffed her boyfriend in a suitcase and left him locked there until he died. The crime took place in 2020.
Sarah Boone, now 47, told authorities her boyfriend had died after being trapped in a suitcase while they were playing hide-and-seek, court records show. At the time of the crime, the Florida couple were drinking and doing puzzles in their Winter Park apartment.
An Orange County Sheriff’s Office report reveals the couple thought it “would be fun” to get into the suitcase as part of their prank. The same report also states that when Boone placed 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr. in the blue suitcase, two of his fingers were left out so the woman assumed he could open it.
Boone went upstairs to go to sleep and thought her boyfriend would get out of the suitcase and join her in bed, but when she woke up she found him still not breathing inside, the same report continues.
“Evidence presented at trial included videos found on Boone’s cell phone, where Torres could be heard frantically pleading for his release, as Boone repeatedly laughed and dismissed him,” according to a statement from the office of State’s Attorney Andrew Payne.
“In the videos he recorded, the victim could be heard telling the defendant that he couldn’t breathe and asking him to release him from the suitcase,” the statement added. “That’s what you deserve’ and ‘that’s what I feel when you betray me,'” Boone replied, among other provocations.
“I can’t breathe, seriously,” said the boyfriend, who can be heard on Boone’s cellphone video, which also shows Torres pushing the suitcase and trying to get out of it.
During the 10-day trial, Boone’s defense said the woman suffered from ‘battered person syndrome’ and feared for her own life, CNN partner WFTV reported. Boone also testified that he thought Torres could get out of the suitcase, the TV station said.
TV station WESH said Boone testified for nearly five hours in his own defense, and Boone’s attorney was visibly disappointed after the verdict, while Torres’ family was emotional and refused to speak to reporters.
“Just shocked. she [Sarah Boone] Shocking,” said James Owens, as quoted by Wesh. “She felt a sense of security.”
According to a statement released by the District Collector’s Office, Poon will be sentenced on December 2 at 1:30 pm.
*Faith Karimi contributed to this article
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