Laughter In The Face Of Death Woman Who Filmed Boyfriend’s Final Moments Claim She Was ‘Justified’

Laughter In The Face Of Death Woman Who Filmed Boyfriend’s Final Moments Claim She Was ‘Justified’

An American woman who laughed while filming her boyfriend as he suffocated was said to have been “justified in her actions,” according to a jury….. CONTINUE READING 

Sarah Boone appeared in court on Friday, October 18, in Orlando, Florida, facing second-degree murder charges for the death of her partner, Jorge Torres, who was found dead in a suitcase at their apartment in February 2020. The 46-year-old woman claims they were playing a drunken game of “hide and seek” when Torres, 42, voluntarily climbed into the suitcase.

She told police that she fell asleep while he was inside and woke up to find him dead the next morning.

In his opening statement, Boone’s defense attorney, James Owens, argued that she did not intend to kill Torres but wanted a “captive audience” after enduring repeated abuse throughout their three-year relationship. He stated that she was “justified in the actions she took.”

Prosecutor William Jay, however, contended that Boone acted with “malicious intent to punish him,” leaving him to die alone after going to sleep. Central to the prosecution’s case is a video recorded by Boone in which Torres can be heard pleading from inside the suitcase, saying, “Sarah, I can’t breathe,” multiple times.

In the video, Boone can be heard giggling and saying, “For everything you’ve done to me, for everything you’ve done to me. F*** you. F*** you. Stupid.” She also compared his struggles for breath to her own experiences of being choked by him. Owens, who is Boone’s ninth defense attorney after several others resigned due to “irreconcilable differences,” mentioned that both Boone and Torres were alcoholics and described their circumstances as “down and out as you can be.”

Regarding the abuse, he noted, “Jorge Torres physically abused Sarah Boone, and she suffered from the psychological effects of repeated violence from an intimate partner.” He described Torres as jealous and stated that his intoxication often led to sadness, moodiness, and physical violence against Boone.

Owens explained how Torres ended up in the suitcase, arguing that while they were physically similar in size, Torres was much stronger, giving him an advantage in a fight. He suggested that Boone’s actions created a unique form of physical restraint, allowing her to express her frustrations.

Both Boone and Torres had previously been arrested for mutual battery.

The court also heard from Boone’s ex-husband, Brian Boone, who recounted a drunken late-night phone call from her. He paid little attention to her words, as she had called him inebriated before. However, when he checked in the next day to see if she would care for their 13-year-old son, she revealed that she had found Torres dead and asked him to come over.

Brian Boone, who lived nearby, urged her to call emergency services. When he arrived at her apartment in Winter Park, he noticed that she still hadn’t contacted the police, prompting him to insist she do so.

He recounted that he only entered the hallway and saw Torres’s feet sticking out in the living room before deciding to wait for emergency services in his car.

Before the trial began, Boone, currently in jail, was offered a plea deal that would have resulted in a 15-year sentence for manslaughter if she pleaded guilty. She rejected the offer and now faces a minimum of 22-and-a-half years in prison if convicted of second-degree murder. The trial is ongoing.