FL - Sarah Boone, 42, charged with murdering boyfriend Jorge Torres, 42, by leaving him locked in suitcase, Winter Park, Feb 2020 #2

[I am not Sherlock H.]

I don't think it matters that they didn't test the blood in the suitcase, or test the bat.

It's not disputed that he was in the case or that she hit him with that bat, and he was injured and bleeding. What further would it prove if it was or wasn't his blood? That he didn't die in there? It's not as if SB claims she was bleeding in the case or that he struck himself with the bat. I imagine the bat would have mixed DNA on it anyway, from its previous use in sport and from people who lived in the house just handling it innocently.

And of course a zipper without a pull on it is going to be more difficult to use. Everybody who's ever tried to use one in that condition knows that.

Personally if I was on the jury I would think the attorney was a jerk for going on the offensive about things that don't make a difference to their case. I can see why they want the zipper to have been easy to open but it's just not arguable. JMO

Yes @Tortoise exactly…. and IMO one other possible point on that zipper. And the victim’s possible inability to free himself from the case.

I am not sure the exact nature of that case and zipper…… and if the pull was missing you are correct. Almost possible to move the closer. And IIUC often the zipper mechanism is designed so that when the pull or clasp is placed closed and in a downward position there is a small tine or cam that locks the zipper in place. So that it doesn’t loosen. Depending on the nature of that suitcase maybe this point will come into evidence.

And as to the defense attorney now apparently saying it was ‘justified’ to have left the victim entombed in the case (latter my words), not sure how that position squares with it not being intentional per his client? MOO

 

[Megnut]

It's a precarious defense. Admit she was using deadly force (reasonable force? Really? A suitcase?), but in self-defense. Over past violence.

I see gross negligence, depraved indifference l, and since she restrained him (kidnapping IMO), and he died as a direct result of the restraint, culpable murder, no less than if she left him bound to a running car in a closed garage.

JMO

 

[Cool Cats]

It's a precarious defense. Admit she was using deadly force (reasonable force? Really? A suitcase?), but in self-defense. Over past violence.

I see gross negligence, depraved indifference l, and since she restrained him (kidnapping IMO), and he died as a direct result of the restraint, culpable murder, no less than if she left him bound to a running car in a closed garage.

JMO

Jury will use common sense, sorely missing from her defense.

1.) If Sarah was needing to get physically away from Jorge due to abuse that night .... I could buy that explanation if she also moved the suitcase outside and then called the cops to safely take him away.

2.) They have a history of reporting their domestic violence against each other .... filing police reports.

3.) Video shows that Sarah was strong enough to move the suitcase with him in it. She had fully turned the suitcase over plus moved it to the dining room.

2 Cents

 

[arielilane]

The trial for #SarahBoone is underway. Jurors will soon hear opening statements from both the state & defense. I see boxes of evidence in the courtroom next to the assistant state attorneys. Next to the defense, there are photos of Sarah with bruises/cuts and a broken TV.


State argues photos of Boone's injuries shouldn't be shown to jurors in opening statements. Boone's attorney says photos show injuries at the hands of Jorge Torres (her boyfriend she's accused of killing) including claiming he stabbed her and hit her in the head w/ a curtain rod.


Judge ruled that the enlarged photos of Boone's injuries cannot be used in opening statements, but her attorney can talk about the abuse. Boone will have to testify to claim self defense in order for alleged previous abuse by Torres to be submitted as evidence in the trial.


Juan Torres (Jorge’s younger brother) is the first witness to take the stand. Juan said he called Jorge the day Sarah allegedly killed him. He said on the call, Sarah was yelling about “how he choked her”. When defense asked if it was surprising to hear that he said “not really”


Next witness is a Publix manager. That’s where Jorge bought the wine the night he died in the suitcase. In opening statements, state talked about how the 2 bottles of wine they bought were 1.5L each so 1 bottle=2 standard bottles


Next witness… Sarah/Jorge’s old neighbor who said he heard the couple arguing the night of the alleged murder. He says the last sound he heard was a loud sound around 11:15pm (that was powerful enough to shake his wall) and then shuffling.

The two cell phone videos investigators got off Sarah’s phone showing her filming Jorge in the suitcase (where he was calling her name and said he couldn’t breathe) were taken at 11:12 pm and 11:23.


Back in the courtroom following a break and I saw #SarahBoone pass hand written questions to her attorney that she'd like him to ask a witness as we continue the trial this afternoon.


Sarah Boone's ex-husband Brian Boone was brought up as a witness. He talked about how Sarah called him and asked him to come over after she found Jorge dead in the suitcase but before calling 911. When he got there, he could see Jorge's legs coming out of the kitchen area


Now, a maintenance worker from Boone's old apartment complex is on the stand. The worker said he spoke with Boone the day Jorge was found dead and said she told him she and Jorge were playing hide and seek, they drank and she was trying to teach him a lesson.


The body camera video of the deputy response was just shown to jurors in the #SarahBoone trial. There was a part that was shown that had been previously been redacted. It shoes Jorge laid out on his back on the ground inside her townhouse right next to the suitcase.


Boone was taking a lot of notes & also watching the body cam of herself telling deputies what happened & a walk through of the house where you see Jorge's dead body. Jurors were watching very intensely, some taking notes. After it finished, some jurors looked STRAIGHT at Sarah.


The suitcase that Jorge was found dead in, baseball bat that #SarahBoone allegedly hit him with, and wine they claim to have drank were shown the the jurors in the courtroom and submitted as evidence. Suitcase dimensions: 28 L x 20 W x 8 ⅞ inch deep.

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[arielilane]

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[Cool Cats]

I have not heard this until reading on here that a baseball bat and blood are involved?

What?

She hit him with the bat and she herself stuffed him into the suitcase?

 

[acehard]

I have not heard this until reading on here that a baseball bat and blood are involved?

What?

She hit him with the bat and she herself stuffed him into the suitcase?

You never played hide-and-seek?

 

[Cool Cats]

You never played hide-and-seek?

You cheeky devil

 

[cujenn81]

I have not heard this until reading on here that a baseball bat and blood are involved?

What?

She hit him with the bat and she herself stuffed him into the suitcase?

I think she hit his hand or fingers or something with the bat when he tried to pry himself out.

I might be wrong about that. The bat part is still a bit unclear to me.

 

[aafromaa]

I’m still behind watching the trial because…well, you know…life

But I’m curious to know everyone’s thoughts about the following…
1) Did they really play hide-n-seek? Or did she totally make up that part?
2) Did he get in the suitcase by himself, with help from her, or did she put him in there after he passed out drunk or after she hit him the head with the bat?
3) Did he start out in the suitcase upstairs and she pushed him down the stairs inside the suitcase which could account for the blood and his injuries?
4) Did she pummel the suitcase with the bat with him inside which could account for the blood and his injuries?
5) Why did she record him in the suitcase not just once but twice?
6) Did she expect him to die in the suitcase while she slept?
7) Did she intentionally wait 12 hours to check so that he would definitely be dead?
8) Was she going to ask the ex-husband to help her get rid of the body? Just wondering why she didn’t call 911 the first two times that he told her she needed to.

These are all just questions that pop in my head and would like to know if any of them come to your minds as well. TIA

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

IMO JT probably died not too long after the video footage where he was pleading for his life saying he couldn't breathe. Let's just say for example he was dead by midnight, that's a full 12.5 hours before SB claims to have come downstairs and realised he was dead.

What was she doing for that full 12 hours? Have LE submitted her phone / wifi usage analysis or any texts or calls she made? How can we be completely sure she was alone and that there isn't a third party involved? How do we know she didn't leave the house overnight and not come back til the next day?

Was all the street CCTV checked and analysis of all her devices and networks?

 

[Izzylizzy]

I expected a large canvas/material suitcase and was shocked when I saw the one JT was in.

I can't fathom how he fit in it no less that she was able to close/zip it no matter how thin he was.

 

[Izzylizzy]

I think she hit his hand or fingers or something with the bat when he tried to pry himself out.

I might be wrong about that. The bat part is still a bit unclear to me.

Wasn't it said that JT's head was hit with the bat?
I'm wondering if JT would have been able to get the zipper opened more had he been given the chance?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

DBM

 

[Izzylizzy]

I’m still behind watching the trial because…well, you know…life

But I’m curious to know everyone’s thoughts about the following…
1) Did they really play hide-n-seek? Or did she totally make up that part?
2) Did he get in the suitcase by himself, with help from her, or did she put him in there after he passed out drunk or after she hit him the head with the bat?
3) Did he start out in the suitcase upstairs and she pushed him down the stairs inside the suitcase which could account for the blood and his injuries?
4) Did she pummel the suitcase with the bat with him inside which could account for the blood and his injuries?
5) Why did she record him in the suitcase not just once but twice?
6) Did she expect him to die in the suitcase while she slept?
7) Did she intentionally wait 12 hours to check so that he would definitely be dead?
8) Was she going to ask the ex-husband to help her get rid of the body? Just wondering why she didn’t call 911 the first two times that he told her she needed to.

These are all just questions that pop in my head and would like to know if any of them come to your minds as well. TIA

Great questions and when/if SB takes the stand hopefully the prosecution' is on the same page as you.

 

[Leilei]

I think she hit his hand or fingers or something with the bat when he tried to pry himself out.

I might be wrong about that. The bat part is still a bit unclear to me.

Possibly hit the sides of the suitcase with the bat? That might account for his injuries.
Who knows with this "unique" defendant.
IMO.

 

[sasha17]

I don't think it matters that they didn't test the blood in the suitcase, or test the bat.

It's not disputed that he was in the case or that she hit him with that bat, and he was injured and bleeding. What further would it prove if it was or wasn't his blood? That he didn't die in there? It's not as if SB claims she was bleeding in the case or that he struck himself with the bat. I imagine the bat would have mixed DNA on it anyway, from its previous use in sport and from people who lived in the house just handling it innocently.

And of course a zipper without a pull on it is going to be more difficult to use. Everybody who's ever tried to use one in that condition knows that.

Personally if I was on the jury I would think the attorney was a jerk for going on the offensive about things that don't make a difference to their case. I can see why they want the zipper to have been easy to open but it's just not arguable. JMO

I agree. I don't think it will ultimately matter for the jury that the blood wasn't tested, but in that moment in court, it was surprising to hear the forensic expert have to admit that no testing was done. Owens really worked to make her look like she wasn't competent at her job. She did a great job with her testimony, though. She was really well prepared and well spoken.

Wasn't it said that JT's head was hit with the bat?
I'm wondering if JT would have been able to get the zipper opened more had he been given the chance?

Per filed motions, Sarah told one of the psychiatric experts that she hit JT's fingers with the baseball bat when he stuck them out of the hole in the zipper. But the autopsy report showed that he had injuries to his face and head, and both his mouth and nose had blood on them when he was removed from the suitcase, deceased, so it seems like she hit more than just his fingers.

 

[Seattle1]

Wasn't it said that JT's head was hit with the bat?
I'm wondering if JT would have been able to get the zipper opened more had he been given the chance?

I dunno. I think we have to wait for the coroner to testify to the injuries by the bat. Did SB whack his fingers with the bat when he tried poking them out?

Also, I'm not sure which head injuries came from the bat and which came from the suitcase being flipped over while Jorge was inside. Listening to the neighbor testify, sounds like the suitcase was possibly bounced down the stairs! JMO

 

[sasha17]

7) Did she intentionally wait 12 hours to check so that he would definitely be dead?

SBM. I'm just re-thinking through the timeline... IIRC, we haven't heard what time she said she went to bed but the neighbors said they heard the loud thunk down the stairs fairly early in the evening and there was no shouting after that. Then by Sarah's own account, she stayed in bed until 11:00 the next day and then went downstairs and found him. On the bodycam video shown in court last week, the first officer to respond is asking Sarah what happened and Sarah gives a brief explanation and says she found JT deceased this morning. The officer then says "but it's 1:00 in the afternoon now" (paraphrasing). What did Sarah do in between 11:00 and 1:00?!

 

[Seattle1]

SBM. I'm just re-thinking through the timeline... IIRC, we haven't heard what time she said she went to bed but the neighbors said they heard the loud thunk down the stairs fairly early in the evening and there was no shouting after that. Then by Sarah's own account, she stayed in bed until 11:00 the next day and then went downstairs and found him. On the bodycam video shown in court last week, the first officer to respond is asking Sarah what happened and Sarah gives a brief explanation and says she found JT deceased this morning. The officer then says "but it's 1:00 in the afternoon now" (paraphrasing). What did Sarah do in between 11:00 and 1:00?!

I recall SB saying that she awoke at around 11 AM but she did not get out of bed until around 1 PM.