A Florida woman accused of murdering her boyfriend by zipping him up in a suitcase will go on trial today (January 29).
Sarah Boone is accused of zipping her boyfriend inside a suitcase and leaving him to die during an alleged game of hide-and-seek in 2020. The trial is finally set to commence on Monday after multiple delays.
Over the past nearly four years, the trial's start date had been pushed back due to various motions filed by public defenders seeking to withdraw from representing Boone, according to court records, per Fox 35.
On February 25, 2020, Boone, then 42, was arrested by Orange County deputies following the tragic death of 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr., who was zipped into a suitcase and left inside for hours. The incident reportedly occurred at the couple's Winter Park home, near Aloma Avenue and Goldenrod Road.
Investigation findings indicated that Boone claimed she and Torres had been drinking wine and engaged in a game of hide-and-seek. Boone alleged that she went upstairs and fell asleep in her bed.
Hours later, she awoke to multiple calls on her cellphone, which led her to suspect that her boyfriend might still be inside the suitcase. When she unzipped it, she discovered Torres unresponsive and not breathing. Boone immediately dialed 911, and deputies arrived to find Torres deceased.
The Florida State Attorney's Office released a disturbing video purportedly recorded on Boone's cell phone, capturing a chilling conversation between her and Torres.
In the video, Boone can be heard laughing while Torres screams in terror from inside the suitcase, desperately pleading for help until his final moments, as reported by investigators.
"For everything you've done to me, [expletive] you! Stupid," Boone is heard saying in the video. "That's on you. Oh, that's what I feel like when you cheat on me," she reportedly added.
The initial video began recording on February 24, 2020, at 11:12PM, during which Torres repeatedly called out Boone's name. Boone's laughter echoed as he screamed in fear, pleading for help and repeatedly telling her that he could not breathe, according to investigators.
A second video, recorded on February 24 at 8:20PM, also captured Torres yelling Boone's name. Detectives noted that the suitcase was in a different position during this second video.
Court documents unveiled a troubling history of domestic violence between Boone and Torres, leading up to the tragic incident. Both individuals had faced charges of battery against each other in Orange County, Fox 35 reported.
Records revealed that Boone was charged with battery by strangulation in July 2018. She claimed Torres had dragged her upstairs and kicked her in the right eye after she spoke to another man at a bar. At the time, Torres told investigators that she had tried to strangle him and that he had kicked her to prevent incapacitation. The affidavit stated that deputies were unable to determine the primary aggressor.
Torres himself faced battery charges three times in 2019. His most recent arrest occurred in September of that year when Boone accused him of punching her in the left ear, according to an affidavit.
During this period, a temporary injunction for protection was in place.