Sarah Boone, Florida woman representing self in murder case, files motion to dismiss case
Sarah Boone wins request to remove handcuffs
A Florida woman, Sarah Boone, who is representing herself in her murder trial, will not be required to wear handcuffs in the courtroom. Boone is accused of zipping her boyfriend into a suitcase and leaving him to die. On Monday, Boone filed a handwritten motion requesting "reasonable freedom in movement," asking to be "unshackled and unhandcuffed" to function more effectively during the trial.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida woman accused of zipping her boyfriend in a suitcase and leaving him to die wants her case to be thrown out, according to court records.
Sarah Boone filed a motion on Tuesday asking the court to dismiss her second-degree murder case, citing her constitutional right to a speedy trial.
In Florida, a "speedy trial" means that a person charged with a crime must be brought to trial within 90 days of arrest if the crime is a misdemeanor, or within 175 days if the crime is a felony. It's been more than four years since Boone was arrested and charged with murder.
"The state of Florida has not met the requirements or proven good cause of delays," the motion read. "Unafective substandard state provided attorneys should have made this request long ago proving this as a fact."
In July, Boone forfeited her right to any more court-appointed defense lawyers after reportedly going through nine lawyers – who all eventually asked to withdraw for various reasons, including irreconcilable differences, ethical differences, or conflict, according to court documents – and has to represent herself at her trial.
In a recent court appearance, she was granted her request to not wear handcuffs in court, after filing a handwritten motion requesting "reasonable freedom in movement," asking to be "unshackled and unhandcuffed" to function more effectively during the trial.
Her trial is slated to begin on Oct. 7 at 9 a.m.
Sarah Boone: Case background
On Feb. 25, 2020, Sarah 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.
According to investigators, Boone told them 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 reportedly 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.
New evidence released in Sarah Boone case
Sarah Boone is accused of killing her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr., in Feb. 2020 inside their home in Winter Park after allegedly locking him inside a suitcase. Boone told deputies that she and Torres were playing a game of hide-and-seek and that she fell asleep. When she woke up, she said she found her boyfriend dead in the suitcase. The Florida State Attorney's Office released video allegedly recorded on Boone's cell phone that appears to show a conversation between her and Torres. Content warning: This video may be graphic and disturbing to some.
Sarah Boone suitcase videos: Suspect allegedly recorded boyfriend begging for help
Prosecutors said there were two videos on Boone's phone showing her recording video as her boyfriend tried to get out of the suitcase. They said the first video began recording on Feb. 24, 2020 at 11:12 p.m., in which Torres could be heard repeatedly yelling out Boone's name.
She reportedly was laughing as he screamed in terror, 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, according to deputies. "That's on you. Oh, that's what I feel like when you cheat on me," she reportedly added.
The second video began recording on Feb. 24 at 8:20 p.m., in which detectives said Torres is heard yelling out Boone's name. An arrest report said the suitcase was in a different position during the second video.
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