Woman Who Left Boyfriend Zipped in a Suitcase Is Convicted of Murder

The woman, Sarah Boone, said the two were drinking and playing hide-and-seek when she zipped him inside the suitcase and then left him overnight.

A Florida woman who zipped her boyfriend in a suitcase and then left him to die in it was found guilty of second-degree murder on Friday, according to prosecutors.

The woman, Sarah Boone, 47, told prosecutors that she was drinking wine with her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., 42, in their home in Winter Park in February 2020 when he voluntarily put himself inside the blue rolling suitcase during a game of hide-and-seek.

He later suffocated and died in the suitcase, according to prosecutors.

After she zipped it shut, Ms. Boone recorded two videos of Mr. Torres in the suitcase as he repeatedly said he could not breathe and asked to be let out, according to an arrest affidavit.

During her trial, Ms. Boone said she had no intention of killing Mr. Torres, but that she was abused by her boyfriend in the past and was defending herself. Prosecutors said that her claims were contradicted by the video evidence that showed her taunting the victim as he asked to be let out of the suitcase.

According to court documents, she replied to his pleas with, “That’s on you,” and another time, “Yeah that’s what you do when you choke me.”

Ms. Boone said she thought he would be able to get himself out of the suitcase, so she left him there, went upstairs and fell asleep, according to court documents.

When she woke up the next morning, Ms. Boone found her boyfriend unresponsive in the suitcase and called the police.

An autopsy found his body had other injuries to his back, head and face. Ms. Boone denied that the two had a physical altercation, according to court documents.

James Owens, Ms. Boone’s lawyer, described her as shocked, television news station WESH reported after the verdict on Friday. “She felt like she had a defense,” he said. Mr. Owens did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Ms. Boone’s presentencing hearing will be held in December. She faces life in prison.