ORLANDO, Fla. — Sarah Boone, the woman accused of zipping her boyfriend in a suitcase, leaving him to die, shared her side of the story on the stand Tuesday.
She's charged with second degree murder for the 2020 death of Jorge Torres Junior.
During hours of testimony, Boone said during a game of hide and seek, Torres “settled” himself in the suitcase.
Boone says she zipped him up, and both laughingly played along, but then says Torres’ tone changed, alleging that he threatened her while in the suitcase.
“Were you in fear?” asked defense attorney James Owens to Boone during testimony.
“Always,” answered Boone. “If he had gotten out of the suitcase, what would’ve happened? He used to tell me he would’ve left me unrecognizable and I would’ve lost my life.”
The judge allowed past instances of violence to be heard by the jury in court after ruling that battered spouse syndrome would be allowed as a defense.
Boone testified to several instances of violence, showing pictures to the jury of past injuries, which she says were at the hands of Torres.
Owens followed up by asking Boone, “did you believe you could kill him?”
“Never,” she said. “He was going to try his best that night to probably take my life.”
Prosecutors tried to discredit Boone’s testimony during cross-examination, saying there are inconsistencies in her story.
In opening statements last week, they alleged Boone zipped Torres shut with malicious intent to punish him, causing his death.
Asked about her claim that she was intoxicated, Boone said she and Torres combined to drink two bottles of wine over the course of that day.
Boone stated she had no balance issues, but that she was tired and the room was spinning, acknowledging she had slurred speech.
Asked if she would have done what is shown on video if she were sober, Boone said, “I don’t know, I can’t say. If I was scared, then it would be something.”
Boone also denied she was trying to “teach Torres a lesson,” in a question from prosecutors.
“There was no lesson to be learned,” she said. “It was just I wanted him to try to understand how I felt, so maybe he could progress in being a better person the next day.”
Boone was also asked to demonstrate how she zipped the suitcase shut, which she did with white gloves on.
When asked by prosecutors, Boone denied doing anything to help him escape the situation.
Wednesday’s proceedings will begin at 9 a.m.
Take a look at live reports from the courtroom from Spectrum News reporter Maria Serrano: