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A Florida woman convicted to leaving her boyfriend to die in a suitcase will spend the rest of her life in prison.
Prior to the sentence on Monday, Judge Michael Kraynick denied a defense motion for a new trial on the grounds of denial of court-appointed counsel, emotional outbursts in the courtroom, and prosecutorial misconduct, among other complaints, WESH reported.
Sarah Boone was convicted in October of second degree murder in the death of Jorge Torres Jr. in 2020, as CrimeOnline reported. Boone said that Torres climbed into the suitcase willingly and playfully but that she never let him out because she was scared he would kill her.
She said she forgot he was in the suitcase and fell asleep, contradicted by videos investigators found on her phone in which she ridiculed and taunted Torres as he pleaded for help.
Testimony during the trial indicated Boone’s relationship with Torres was plagued by violence, with police testifying they had been called to the scene multiple times in the year prior to Torres’s death.
Eight attorneys withdrew from Boone’s case before it ever went trial, citing Boone’s general behavior and her behavior toward them. Jesse Owens, who represented her during trial, was hired after he answered an ad posted on social media for a new attorney.
“Looking for a prosperous challenge? Ready for your close-up on nat’l television? Are you zealous with a side of keen,” the ad read.
Torres’s mother, daugther, and sisters provided victim impact statements at the sentencing hearing on Monday, WKMG reported.
Torres’s mother said his death has “been hard on my family,” while his daughter Ava told the court that “evilness” took her father away.
“I pray that you see his face when you see him at night,” she told Boone.
Boone also testified, offering an apology of sorts.
“I hope that everyone can forgive me, the Torres family most of all,” she said.
She also blamed the Torres family, the media, the internet, and social media for making her a pariah, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
