Suitcase killer Sarah Boone’s shocking excuse for stuffing her boyfriend in his luggage and watching him suffocate

A Florida woman accused of killing her boyfriend by stuffing him in a suitcase and leaving him to die did so during a drunken game of hide-and-seek, a court has heard.

Sarah Boone, 47, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend Jorge Torres Jr., 42, who died of asphyxiation in 2020.

Boone took the witness stand during her trial in Orlando on Tuesday and recalled how the two began a game of hide-and-seek when he climbed into the suitcase after a day of drinking.

She said, “He tapped me on the knee and said, ‘It’s you.'” I ran upstairs and just waited for him to find me. Then I went downstairs to find out where he was.

“I looked over and saw him sitting down in the suitcase. I zipped it up. “We thought it was funny and joked that he was so small he could fit in the suitcase.”

Boone took the witness stand during her trial in Orlando on Tuesday and recalled how the two played a game of hide-and-seek when he climbed into the suitcase

Boone continued, “We laughed about it from then on, and it was just weird that it was small enough to fit in there, and then I moved it a little while it was still in the suitcase.”

A forensic pathologist previously testified that Torres died as a result of positional asphyxia, with his death ruled a homicide

“It was still strange that it was still in the suitcase. I think he and I couldn’t believe it fit in the suitcase.”

Boone, who claims Torres abused her, said the case fell through and she began videotaping him.

She told the court that she wanted to take the opportunity to speak to Torres as he was “unable to come out”.

The footage shows him thrashing around in the suitcase and telling her: “I can’t f***ing breathe” as she shouts at him.

She made two clips of herself laughing at Torres as he begged for his life. She can be heard saying, “For everything you did to me, fuck you, stupid.”

She addressed the court and continued: “His hand started to get through, so I shook the suitcase to try to get his hand back in. I told him to please stop doing this to me.’

When questioned, Boone said her boyfriend “violently” tried to escape and was angry with her.

She then said that she was “always scared” and added: “He always told me he would make me unrecognizable or I would have lost my life.”

Boone continued, “I grabbed the baseball bat to poke his hand so he could go back in. So I slapped his hand.”

Boone has alleged that Torres abused her. Here he is seen carrying a baseball to a television before falling over in a row

Boone told the court that she wanted to take the opportunity to speak to Torres because he was “unable to come out.”

“I started with his hand and he was still trying to get out, so I started pushing on the case, hoping his hand would retract and go back in.”

“Eventually he gave in and withdrew his hand,” she said, adding that her “split-second decision” prevented him from attacking her.

“He stopped trying to break through the suitcase, so I felt safe enough to turn him over again.”

Boone said she later went upstairs and fell asleep, waking up the next day and “thinking he was downstairs drinking or looking for work.”

After opening the suitcase, she said, “I don’t think I’ve experienced anything like this before.” I was horrified and I just can’t describe the feeling of horror. It was purple.’

A forensic pathologist previously testified that Torres died as a result of positional asphyxia, with his death ruled a homicide.

Prosecutors argued Boone had no regard for his life, while her lawyers claimed she was a victim of battered spouse syndrome.

Under cross-examination, prosecutors pressed her on the testimony of a neighbor who said he heard a loud bang the night of the murder.

When she suggested Boone push the suitcase into the depths, she was asked why she felt it necessary to teach him a lesson in that case.

She said it was “not a lesson to be learned” but she wanted him to know how she felt about the alleged abuse.

Assistant District Attorney William Jay said, “Did you do anything to help him get out of the predicament you got him into?” She replied, “No.”

Boone had previously requested professional hair and makeup for her murder trial – but her bold request was denied

Prosecutors argued Boone had no regard for his life, while her lawyers claimed she was a victim of battered spouse syndrome

Boone had previously requested professional hair and makeup for her murder trial – but her bold request was denied.

Boone has represented herself throughout much of her court saga since her arrest and is now represented by her ninth attorney after eight other attorneys were fired or resigned.

In June 2018, Boone was arrested for assault by strangulation of her boyfriend, and Jorge was charged with assault stemming from an alcohol-related argument at their home.

According to an affidavit, Torres told a deputy that Boone put her hands around his neck and tried to strangle him as he went upstairs to get away from her after an argument, which led him to kick her.

A year later, Torres was arrested twice in two months for assault while dating.

His obituary states that Torres was the father of three children. His girlfriend has a son from a previous marriage.