Sarah Boone: Woman accused of killing boyfriend wants murder case dismissed, documents reveal

ORANGE COUNTY, Florida. – A Florida woman accused of stuffing her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die is asking for her case to be dismissed, according to court documents.

Sarah Boone filed a motion Tuesday asking the court to dismiss her second-degree murder charge, citing her constitutional right to a speedy trial.

In Florida, a “speedy trial” means that a person accused of a crime must be tried within 90 days of arrest if the crime is a misdemeanor, or within 175 days if the crime is a felony. It has been more than four years since Boone was arrested and charged with murder.

“The State of Florida has failed to comply with the requirements or demonstrate a valid reason for the delays,” the motion states. “Ineffective, inferior attorneys for the State should have filed this motion long ago and proven this as a fact.”

In July, Boone waived her right to additional public defenders after reportedly going through nine attorneys – all of whom eventually asked to resign for various reasons, including irreconcilable differences, ethical differences or conflicts, court records show – and must now represent herself at her trial.

At a recent court hearing, she was granted her request not to be handcuffed in court. She had previously submitted a handwritten request asking for “reasonable freedom of movement.” She asked to be “uncuffed and unhandcuffed” so she could act more effectively during the trial.

Her trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on October 7.

Sarah Boone: Background of the case

On February 25, 2020, Sarah Boone, then 42, was arrested by Orange County officials after her boyfriend, 42-year-old Jorge Torres Jr., died after being stuffed into a suitcase and left inside for hours, according to investigators. The incident reportedly occurred at the couple's Winter Park home, near Aloma Avenue and Goldenrod Road.

According to investigators, Boone told them that she and Torres were drinking wine and playing hide-and-seek when she went upstairs and passed out in her bed.

She said she woke up hours later because her cell phone was ringing several times. She then realized her boyfriend might still be in the suitcase, and when she unzipped it, she found Torres unconscious and not breathing. Boone called 911, and when officers arrived, they found Torres dead.

Sarah Boone's suitcase videos: Suspect allegedly filmed friend begging for help

Prosecutors said there were two videos on Boone's phone showing her filming her boyfriend trying to climb out of the suitcase. They said the first video started recording at 11:12 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2020, and Torres can be heard repeatedly yelling Boone's name.

She is said to have laughed as he screamed in fear and begged for help until his last breath, investigators said. “For everything you have done to me, [expletive] you! Idiot,” Boone was heard saying in the video, according to officials. “This is on you. Oh, this is how I feel when you cheat on me,” she allegedly added.

The second video began recording at 8:20 p.m. on February 24. Investigators said Torres could be heard screaming Boone's name. A police report said the suitcase was in a different position during the second video.

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