Sarah Boone transferred to Florida prison to serve life sentence for boyfriend's suitcase murder

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Published  December 31, 2024 12:22pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Sarah Boone takes stand at sentencing hearing

Sarah Boone delivered a 20-minute speech during her sentencing hearing, following her conviction of second-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, Jorge Torres. She alleged abuse by Torres during her speech, lamented the criminal justice system, the state, media coverage of her trial. She also discussed her love for Torres, and asked for forgiveness from him and his family.

OCALA, Fla. - Sarah Boone, the Florida woman convicted of killing her boyfriend in Feb. 2020 by locking him inside a suitcase, has been transferred from the Orange County jail to a Florida prison.

A six-person jury convicted her of second-degree murder in October 2024, and she was later sentenced to life in prison.

Boone rejected a 15-year plea deal prior to her trial. Following her guilty verdict, the defense filed a motion for a new trial, which was rejected.

Boone was turned over to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) to serve her life sentence shortly before 5 a.m. on Monday, a spokesperson for Orange County Corrections Department confirmed to FOX 35 News.

New booking photo for Sarah Boone (Credit: Florida Department of Corrections)

According to FDC's website, Boone is currently incarcerated at the Florida Women's Correction Center in Ocala.

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On Feb. 25, 2020, Boone, then 42, was arrested by Orange County deputies after detectives said her boyfriend, 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr., died after being zipped into a suitcase and left inside for hours. The incident reportedly happened at the couple's Winter Park home, near Aloma Avenue and Goldenrod Road.

Boone initially told investigators that she and Torres had been drinking wine and playing hide-and-seek, when she claimed she went upstairs and passed out in her bed.

She said she woke up hours later to her cellphone ringing multiple times. She then allegedly realized her boyfriend was possibly still inside the suitcase, and when she unzipped it, she found Torres unresponsive and not breathing. Boone called 911 and deputies arrived to find Torres dead. 

The Florida State Attorney's Office released video allegedly recorded on Boone's cell phone that appeared to show a conversation between her and Torres. 

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Video shows man's final moments in suitcase

For three years now, prosecutors have said Sarah Boone's story does not add up. Boone is accused of killing 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr., who was zipped inside a suitcase and left for hours during a reported game of "hide-and-seek" at their home in Winter Park. Investigators said videos found on Boone's cellphone show she purposely kept Torres Jr. zipped inside the suitcase where he died. The videos are disturbing and viewer discretion is advised.

In the video, Boone is heard laughing as Torres screamed in terror from inside the suitcase, pleading for help until his final breath, investigators said. 

"For everything you've done to me, [expletive] you! Stupid," Boone could be heard saying in the video. "That's on you. Oh, that's what I feel like when you cheat on me," she reportedly added. 

At Boone's sentencing, Torres' mother and sisters spoke on his behalf. A few friends also spoke on behalf of Boone, including her cellmate and another inmate she met in the Orange County Jail. 

Torres' mother remembered her son as a father, brother and uncle. "It's been hard on my family," she said, through tears. She said she does not "hate" Sarah Boone for what she did, but stopped short of forgiving her.

Torres' daughter, Ava, described her father as "one of a kind" and a "hidden gem." She said her father was taken by "evilness," and that he would be remembered long after Sarah.

"I pray that you see his face when you see him at night," she said.

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