From: jcs
The death of George Torres Jr. in a suitcase occurred in late February 2020 [03:06:00], [03:08:00]. His girlfriend, 42-year-old Sarah Boone, was charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death [03:06:00], [03:08:00].
The Incident
On the night of the incident, Sarah Boone and George Torres Jr., both 42 years old, were at home, drinking wine, doing puzzles, and listening to music [02:50:00], [02:54:00], [02:59:00], [03:27:00], [03:29:00], [10:02:00]. According to Sarah, they decided to play hide and seek, and George willingly got into a suitcase [00:28:00], [00:33:00], [05:20:00], [07:01:00]. Sarah stated she zipped him up as a joke, intending to make him “squirm a little bit,” but then fell asleep [05:25:00], [05:31:00], [07:07:00]. She claimed she woke up later to find him dead in the suitcase [00:35:00], [00:39:00].
911 Call
Sarah Boone called 911, reporting that her boyfriend was dead [00:15:00]. She explained to the dispatcher that she and George were playing hide and seek, and she put him in a suitcase. She then fell asleep and woke up to find him dead [00:28:00], [00:35:00]. The dispatcher instructed her on how to perform CPR, which she stated she had already tried [00:52:00], [00:55:00].
Investigation
Upon arrival, officers found George Torres Jr. dead from suffocation [01:58:00]. Sarah’s initial explanation was that his death was a completely unintentional and unforeseen accident [02:03:00].
Evidence from Sarah’s Phone
Investigators discovered two videos on Sarah’s phone recorded the night before George’s death [02:08:00].
- First Video: Taken at 11:12 PM, it shows Sarah laughing at George while he is zipped up in the suitcase. George can be heard asking to be let out and repeatedly stating that he cannot breathe [02:12:00], [02:18:00].
- Second Video: Recorded 11 minutes later, it shows the same scene, but the suitcase has been flipped over and moved to a different area of the apartment [02:23:00], [02:26:00]. Sarah is visibly and heavily intoxicated in these videos [02:30:00].
Sarah initially claimed no memory of these videos [17:20:00], [18:12:00], [29:35:00]. When confronted with the footage, she stated that the remarks made in the video were part of their usual interaction [23:37:00].
Forensic Findings on George’s Body
The autopsy revealed that George sustained injuries on his left shoulder, a cut near his lip, a contusion on his neck, and bruising on the left side of his forehead and skull [09:03:00], [09:12:00], [09:39:00], [10:46:00]. Forensics confirmed these injuries occurred the night he died and were not present before he entered the apartment [09:21:00]. Sarah denied causing these injuries, suggesting he might have fallen off her son’s bike or run into a wall [09:27:00], [11:02:00].
Sarah’s Account vs. Evidence
Sarah maintained that the incident was accidental and that she did not intentionally leave George in the suitcase [21:24:00], [22:44:00], [24:24:00], [25:19:00], [30:20:00], [30:27:00], [31:12:00]. She stated she thought leaving the suitcase unzipped would be enough for him to get out [23:13:00]. She also claimed she thought he was “okay” [27:27:00]. However, the videos show George repeatedly stating he couldn’t breathe, and Sarah responding with derogatory comments and laughter [02:18:00], [22:04:00], [26:48:00], [27:04:00]. The police noted that the videos indicated she was punishing him [26:43:00].
Prior Domestic Violence
Sarah’s ex-husband, Brian, informed officers that George had been arrested multiple times for domestic violence against Sarah, and she had bailed him out each time [04:54:00], [05:01:00]. Sarah confirmed instances of George coming at her, forcing her to flee or go to sleep [11:51:00]. She claimed George had been making progress in his anger management classes [13:49:00].
Arrest and Legal Proceedings
Sarah Boone was arrested and taken to Orange County Jail [03:06:00], [03:07:00]. She was charged with second-degree murder and held without bond [03:09:00], [03:10:00]. As of the time of the transcript, she had been in county jail and was working with her seventh attorney, with six previous attorneys filing motions to withdraw due to irreconcilable differences [03:21:00], [03:26:00]. Her trial date was set for April 10th of the current year [03:24:00].