Woman zips boyfriend in suitcase during ‘hide-and-seek game’ as he begs to be freed. She goes upstairs to sleep instead

A Florida woman has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder for leaving her boyfriend to die inside a suitcase. Sarah Boone, 47, was found guilty of second-degree murder in October 2024 for the death of Jorge Torres Jr., who died after being zipped inside a suitcase at their Winter Park apartment in February 2020.

As per ABC13, the incident happened on February 23, 2020, when Boone and Torres were drinking alcohol and playing what they said was a game of hide-and-seek. Court papers say they thought it would be funny for Torres to get inside the suitcase. Boone said Torres got into the suitcase on his own, and she zipped it closed.

But things turned deadly when Boone recorded videos on her phone showing Torres begging her to let him out while she laughed and made fun of him. In the videos, Torres can be heard saying he could not breathe and asking to be let out of the suitcase. Instead of helping him, Boone went upstairs to sleep, leaving him trapped inside all night. When she woke up the next morning, she found Torres dead and called 911.

What the videos showed from that night

The videos found on Boone’s phone became the most important evidence in the trial. In the recordings, Boone can be heard saying things like “That’s what you get” and “That’s what I feel like when you cheat on me” as Torres begged for help. At one point, Torres said “I can’t f**king breathe, seriously” while trying to push against the suitcase to get out. Boone later said she thought Torres could free himself because two of his fingers were sticking out from the suitcase.

During the trial, Boone spoke in her own defense for about five hours. She and her lawyers said she had battered spouse syndrome and claimed Torres had been violent with her during their relationship. Boone told the court that Torres had kicked, punched, spit on, raped, stabbed, and choked her. When prosecutors asked her why she did not unzip the suitcase, Boone said, “I wanted him to try to understand how I felt so maybe he could progress and be a better person.”

The jury took less than two hours to find Boone guilty of second-degree murder, similar to other big cases like the Kaitlin Armstrong murder conviction for shooting a fellow cyclist. Judge Michael Kraynick gave her a life sentence on December 2, 2024. Before the sentencing, Torres’ family members spoke about how his death affected them. 

His mother, Blanca Torres, said Boone “not only killed my son, she killed a father, a brother, an uncle.” Torres’ daughter said her father was “one of a kind” and a “hidden gem.” Boone had turned down a 15-year plea deal before the trial. Her request for a new trial was turned down by the judge, who said he had reviewed all the trial records and evidence. The case is now one of many shocking murder cases that have caught public attention.