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

[TTF14]

She has not been formally diagnosed with any mental health issue for the purposes of this case. However, I think to many of us armchair psychiatrists it's pretty obvious what's being dealt with here... personality wise.

Re JT she was treating him like some sort of object or infant, seems to me he didn't have agency over himself. Some types of personality disordered people tend to treat people like they're toys to be picked up, put down, manipulated, discarded, and importantly only do what they're told and don't ever get to answer back. JMO

Thank you.

 

[Luna20]

There was some earlier up thread discussion on this. IANAL but my vote on the latter point is no. An emphatic no.

There is that case in Los Angeles in the mid 1990s where the prosecution made a major miscue asking the defendant to try on a pair of gloves. Same potential problem and pitfalls exists here IMO. And the outcome would be unknown. A fatal error to do such IMO.

And with all the questions about an underwhelming cross of SB it would seem unwise to tempt fate with an unknown suitcase demonstration.

There are SB videos showing the now deceased victim JT in it. Alive. Requesting to be freed. And he could not escape. And she did not release him.

There is IMO no need to recreate anything or try and get creative with the suitcase. It was for lack of a better term JT’s coffin and tomb. MOO

I don’t necessarily agree but I understand your point.

If they do their research in *advance with a specific person in the suitcase it would be more tangible.

The issue in the OJ case was that they did not do any *advance prep on the gloves. If they would have tried them on they would know that they shrunk. Leave no stone unturned.

Agree. Although I think the state could have used a computer generated 3D image to show exactly the position JT was in inside that case, how his knees would have been up around his chin and his arms tightly packed like a foetus in the womb, he didn't have wiggle room or leverage or any way to re-arrange himself.

Someone in a forum suggested SB may have tricked him by easing him in to their 'good day' super chill with puzzles and then challenging him to try and get out the case like Houdini 'I bet you can't...'

That’s a great idea. They need to show the position of JT body within the walls of the suitcase. It needs to be shown for the torture aspect, as well as his inability to get out.

 

[arielilane]

ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida woman on trial for murder after her boyfriend died in a zipped-up suitcase during an apparent drunken game of hide-and-seek took the stand Tuesday in her own defense.


Sarah Boone takes the stand in her own defense at suitcase murder trial

Updated: October 22, 2024 at 7:20 PM

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

LYK recap and thoughts

 

[sasha17]

Is SB's criminal record available?

There may be more located elsewhere (county level, city level misdemeanors, etc.) but there is this previous case by the state of Florida:

2018-CF-010573-A-O : STATE OF FLORIDA - VS - BOONE, SARAH KATHRYN
Battery by Strangulation - Third Degree - Felony

Orange County Clerk of Courts Records Search

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Is SB's criminal record available?

It was stated by SB to the court that she has no criminal convictions to declare to the court
It was stated by Owens that he had only discovered a traffic violation
However, we could yet find out more!

 

[Izzylizzy]

@ Peters he said that SB slipped up when asked about her and JT's weight by Owen.

SB said she's put on weight since being "incarcerated".

She wanted clothes, hair etc and no cuffs etc so the jury wouldn't know she was jailed, yes?

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

@ Peters he said that SB slipped up when asked about her and JT's weight by Owen.

SB said she's put on weight since being "incarcerated".

She wanted clothes, hair etc and no cuffs etc so the jury wouldn't know she was jailed, yes?

Oops SB cover blown x 2 now.

 

[Izzylizzy]

There may be more located elsewhere (county level, city level misdemeanors, etc.) but there is this previous case by the state of Florida:

2018-CF-010573-A-O : STATE OF FLORIDA - VS - BOONE, SARAH KATHRYN
Battery by Strangulation - Third Degree - Felony

Orange County Clerk of Courts Records Search

Thank you.
Police Report.
SB was well seasoned in alcohol and violence.

https://myeclerk.myorangeclerk.com/DocView/Doc?eCode=fafQxDDriTww9WjZOA53WXcwKcQK89gUSqscvYyCr1fgJP%2BNXOVHKUrFHASr9yK0jNkNKoks6OT08b159Kn5hSWz82LYw67IaCBY6Jtopp6ht4cQKUPPgSg3y3OnAXWBmdISLBjSLOIggjKHzOx4tg%3D%3D

 

[Izzylizzy]

Oops SB cover blown x 2 now.

She expected jurors to think she went home after court?
Like half of Florida doesn't know that the "suitcase killer" has been incarcerated for years.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Interesting.
Peter said that many of his members have sympathy for SB.
I don't get it.

 

[Izzylizzy]

It was stated by SB to the court that she has no criminal convictions to declare to the court
It was stated by Owens that he had only discovered a traffic violation
However, we could yet find out more!

If I read it correctly 3 traffic violations I know 2 for speeding and not sure about the 3rd.
She had to go to driving classes.


The biggy was arrested for strangling JT.
Both were arrested and neither would press charges or make out some kind of statement against the other.Both drunk.

 

[cujenn81]

IMO the most incriminating or discrediting part of SB’s testimony today was the story she admittedly fabricated on the way to the hospital after the alleged steak stabbing incident. Because it was almost verbatim the description she gave LE about their supposedly playful game of hide and seek. She said they were “just being silly”, laughing and playing a game of pretend sword fighting.

There’s no way the jury didn’t pick up on the similarities after listening to that two hour interview yesterday afternoon. SB talked about how “silly” and funny their little game of hide and seek had been… over and over and over again.

 

[Megnut]

Did the State get enough to impeach her, thereby nullifying her testimony? Without it, the Defense cannot bring in an expert, right?

JMO

 

[cujenn81]

It was also so obvious that she was being willfully obtuse during cross examination. The prosecution even called her out on it at one point. “I know you know what I’m asking you, Sarah. Now answer the question.”

 

[Deleted member 229974]

It’s so awful. Every time I see the video or even read about it, I feel like I’m having trouble breathing in sympathetic response and start to panic. I cannot imagine Jorge’s torment and fear.

Incredibly damning for Sarah. The length of time he was in there belies claims of an accident. At best it’s criminally negligent homicide, at worst it’s pre-meditated first-degree murder.

Do they base sentencing on how much suffering a victim experienced before death?

 

[Seattle1]

FL v. Sarah Boone: Suitcase Murder Trial

UPDATE: Sarah Boone was convicted of murdering her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr, who died after he was zipped inside a suitcase.

www.courttv.com

10/22/24

Owens has filed an intent to use battered spouse syndrome as a defense in the case, citing years of domestic abuse and arrests in Boone and Torres’ relationship.

On Oct. 7, Boone rejected a plea offer from prosecutors that would have sent her to prison for 15 years for pleading guilty to manslaughter. If she’s found guilty, Boone faces a minimum of 22.5 years in prison and a potential life sentence.

DAILY TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS​

DAY 3 – 10/22/24​

• Sarah Boone takes the stand in her own defense.
  • WATCH: Sarah Boone: ‘I Couldn’t Believe That He Could Fit in the Suitcase
  • WATCH: Sarah Boone Admits Beating Suitcase: ‘It Got Very Heated Very Quickly’
  • WATCH: Moments of Sarah Boone’s Testimony As She Takes Stand in Her Defense
  • WATCH: Sarah Boone Demonstrates to Jury How She Zipped Up the Suitcase
• Boone’s cross-examination continues Wednesday.

 

[stripehaven2]

Serious question. Does Sarah have any diagnoses? I haven't followed the trial in its entirety. Has she been dx with borderline personality disorder? Just curious. I'm not a mental health professional, but her actions, behavior and history of losing everyone close to her a youngish age make that diagnosis obvious to me, a layperson. (My opinion)

Also, what's the deal with all the childish games? Arts and crafts, puzzles, hide and seek, etc. Was he mentally challenged? Or is she crafting some kind of narrative by saying those are the things she would "entertain" him with? Was it a way to explain why they, as adults, were allegedly playing hide and seek?

Again, sorry for what may be dumb/oft discussed questions.

As always, AJMO.

I’m super skeptical about all the kindergarten-teacher activities she reported since she testified today that Jorge had her come up with a story about “sword fighting” to explain the stab wound.

 

[TTF14]

I’m super skeptical about all the kindergarten-teacher activities she reported since she testified today that Jorge had her come up with a story about “sword fighting” to explain the stab wound.

Yeah, I think she fabricated the childish activities to explain why they were "playing hide and seek."

As always, JMO.

 

[aafromaa]

I finally watched SB’s testimony regarding the overt act and the judge’s ruling regarding the overt act being established and allowing JT’s prior conduct and BSS witnesses.

I get why he had to accept the overt act as being established for purpose she’s of allowing in the prior conduct and bss witnesses and like that he pointed out he had to accept that even if only a scintilla of evidence is presented.

I don’t think the jury will believe that JT’s hand or fingers coming out of the suitcase was threatening and if they listened to his voice on the videos they probably won’t believe he was able to argue with her or threaten her from inside that suitcase either.

But even if they did think that his hand reaching out or verbal threats while he was dying - struggling for air - were reasons for SB to feel threatened, there are a few things that I don’t think they can overlook…

1) By SB’s testimony JT was not angry or violent or threatening until SB zipped him in the suitcase and he couldn’t breathe.
2) If he did get angry at her after that point, his anger was justified - she was saying F you while he was telling her he couldnt breathe. I think most of us might have said something like you’ll be sorry if I ever get out of here or when I get out of here I’m gonna kill you.
3) You cannot have self—defense if you were the instigator. Earlier when arguing outside the presence of the jury the prosecution brought this up and no doubt it will be a focus during their closing argument.
4) If she really felt threatened, she had him contained and had neutralized any threat from him and yet instead of calling for help or even fleeing the house, she beat him with a bat and went upstairs and went to sleep.

IMO there is no way that the jury will accept self-defense even with BSS experts and testimony. I don’t know whether changing to self-defense was her idea or one of her earlier attorneys but I think if she had stayed with the accident/fell asleep story she might have had a shot at involuntary manslaughter but she’s more likely now to get a murder conviction.

I won’t have time to watch the rest of her testimony or cross examination but will take the word of those of you who posted that it was less than it could have been. I probably won’t have time to watch other defense witnesses either and maybe not even any rebuttal witnesses by the prosecution but I’ll scan your posts to get the highlights and try to watch closing arguments. Thank you to all the WSers who post so those of us who cannot watch it can still get some details.