From: jcs
On February 25, 2020, 42-year-old Sarah Boone called 9-1-1 to report that her boyfriend, 42-year-old George Torres Jr., was dead [00:00:15]. She explained to the dispatcher that they were playing hide-and-seek the night before, and she put him in a suitcase [00:00:28]. She then fell asleep and woke up to find him dead in the suitcase [00:00:35]. George Torres Jr. ultimately died of suffocation [00:01:58]. Sarah’s initial explanation was that it was a totally unintentional and unforeseen accident [00:02:03].
Initial Investigation and Discovery of Evidence
Upon arrival, officers began their investigation. Sarah’s ex-husband, who she called over, informed police that George was currently on parole for domestic violence against Sarah [00:04:54]. He stated that George had been arrested multiple times for domestic violence against Sarah, and she had bailed him out each time [00:05:01].
During initial questioning, Sarah reiterated her story, claiming George got into the suitcase, and she zipped him up jokingly, then fell asleep upstairs [00:05:20]. She denied ever having zipped him up in anything prior to this incident [00:16:17]. Investigators found two videos on Sarah’s phone that contradicted her story [00:02:08].
The Videos
- First Video: Taken at 11:12 PM, it shows Sarah laughing at George while he is zipped up in the suitcase [00:02:12]. George is not laughing; he is asking to be let out and repeatedly states that he cannot breathe [00:02:17]. Sarah can be heard saying, “For everything you’ve done to me” and “Your battery’s about to die, shut it down” [00:18:14]. She also tells George, “You stupid, stupid” [00:19:13].
- Second Video: Recorded 11 minutes later, it shows the same scene, but the suitcase is flipped over and in a different area of the apartment [00:02:21]. Sarah admits to flipping the suitcase over [00:20:08].
Sarah appeared heavily intoxicated in these videos [00:02:30].
Autopsy and Forensics
The autopsy revealed injuries to George’s left shoulder, a cut near his lip, and bruising on his forehead and skull [00:09:03]. Forensics confirmed these injuries occurred the night he died and were not present before he entered the apartment [00:09:21]. Sarah denied causing any injuries [00:11:02].
Interrogation and Charges
Sarah returned to the Sheriff’s Office the day after George’s death, armed with a handwritten list of questions [00:08:10]. Investigators then showed her the videos from her phone.
During the interrogation, Sarah’s demeanor shifted drastically:
- She initially claimed no recollection of the videos [00:18:12].
- When confronted with George’s pleas of “I can’t breathe,” Sarah claimed he was “the boy calling wolf” [00:27:18].
- She blamed her actions on alcohol, stating, “I’m blaming it on the wine” [00:28:46].
- She repeatedly stated her intention was not to leave him in the suitcase [00:21:24].
- When asked why she didn’t let him out, she said she went upstairs and fell asleep [00:22:58].
- She acknowledged being “mad” in the video but denied it was malicious [00:21:19].
When asked if she was trying to punish George, Sarah denied it [00:26:45]. However, the interrogator highlighted her statement in the video, “This is what you got, this is what you make me feel like” [00:26:48], and later, “This is what it feels like when you’re choking me” [00:30:34].
After presenting all the evidence, an investigator directly asked Sarah, “You realize you’re the person that killed him, right?” [00:30:04] Sarah maintained, “Not intentionally” [00:30:27].
Near the end of the interrogation, Sarah was asked to give a solemn declaration of her statements. Despite her visible distress, she agreed [00:34:10].
At 5:44 PM, Sarah Boone was taken to the Orange County Jail [00:36:05].
Charges and Sentencing
Sarah Boone was charged with second-degree murder and held without bond [00:36:09]. This occurred in late February 2020 [00:36:13].
Sarah has been in county jail since, and at the time of the transcript, her trial date was set for April 10th of the current year [00:36:21]. She has reportedly worked with her seventh attorney, as six previous attorneys filed motions to withdraw, citing “irreconcilable differences” [00:36:26].