Naman Shrestha
In A&E’s ‘Killer Cases: Death in a Suitcase,’ the focus is on the disturbing murder of 42-year-old Jorge Torres, who lost his life in his apartment in Winter Park, Florida, in February 2020. As the detectives delved deep into his personal life and case, they uncovered some dark and unsettling secrets. A couple of video evidence incriminated the perpetrator, who was later brought to justice for the crime. The documentary features insightful and exclusive interviews with Jorge’s loved ones and the officials linked to the investigation.
A Hide-and-Seek Game Turned Fatal For Jorge Torres
Jorge Torres Jr. joined the Torres household on February 13, 1978, in the warm embrace of his parents, Jorge Sr. and Blanca I. Torres. He grew up in his hometown of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, under the care of his mother and father and the company of his six brothers and three sisters. The Torres family was huge, and Jorge seemingly shared a tight bond with all of his siblings, comprising brothers Victor Manuel Valentin, Jose, Juan Gabriel, Moises, Ezequiel, Farel Torres, Sr., and sisters Maria Trim, Aurora, and Victoria Torres. While not much is known about his academic, professional, and personal background, we know the 42-year-old was a proud father to three kids — daughters, Ana Victoria and Destiny Mia, as well as a son named Jorge Torres, III. The information about the mother/s of the kids has been kept under wraps.
Sometime in the late 2010s, Jorge met a Florida-based woman named Sarah Boone, and they immediately hit it off. As they began getting to know each other, conversations seemed effortless, and hours passed by quickly. There was transparency between the two, with Sarah being in the middle of her divorce proceedings and a child from that marriage, and Jorge’s three kids. Since they had so many mutual interests, Sarah and Jorge soon developed a genuine connection. One fine day, they realized they were meant to be and got into a relationship. Over the years, they became serious about their relationship and took the next step in their journey as lovers by moving in together. From what we can tell, the two 42-year-olds had built a comfortable life for themselves and their two dogs in Winter Park, Florida.
On February 23, 2020, Jorge and Sarah were relaxing at their abode. As the former had an off from work, Sarah made him take up the cleaning duties. As per her account, the two relaxed the entire day and treated each other to wine, solved a puzzle, indulged in painting, and spent some time dancing and vibing to music. The following morning, she made a chilling call to the authorities, informing them she had found Jorge zipped up in a suitcase. With over-the-phone assistance from the Fire and Rescue officer, she tried giving him CPR, but to no avail. By the time the police and medical team reached their residence, Jorge Torres Jr. was dead. The autopsy reports revealed that the 42-year-old father of three had contusions to his forehead, shoulder, and skull, suggesting blunt force trauma. The reports further mentioned Jorge sustained multiple scratches on his neck and back, bruising on his hand, and a “busted” lip. The cause of death was determined to be death by suffocation.
The Killer Abandoned Jorge Torres Inside the Suitcase For an Entire Night
It was actually Jorge Torres’ girlfriend, Sarah Boone, who had called the authorities and informed them of the situation at their Winter Park, Florida, residence. Upon digging deep into the couple’s relationship, the detectives learned that it was far from ideal and loving. Due to the volatile and violent nature of their bond, the authorities had received numerous domestic calls months prior to the murder. As per reports, they had also spent time behind bars for alleged instances of domestic violence against each other. While Sarah had been taken into custody for alleged battery by strangulation against her boyfriend in July 2018, Jorge had been arrested a total of four times for the same charge. However, each of those times, Sarah had bailed him out.
The authorities collected Sarah’s phone for inspection, upon which they came across a couple of videos that she had recorded on the fateful night. In the videos, she could be heard laughing and saying, “That’s what you do when you choke me” and “That’s what I feel like when you cheat on me,” while Jorge was trapped inside a suitcase, having trouble breathing. When she was questioned about Jorge’s death, she told the detectives that on February 23, 2020, they were drinking wine when they decided to play a game of hide-and-seek. She claimed that they both thought it would be funny if Jorge got inside the suitcase.
After helping him into it, Sarah alleged that she zipped it close and went upstairs to sleep, thinking that he could get out of the suitcase if he wanted to. When she woke up the following morning, she claimed that she found her boyfriend unresponsive in the suitcase, after which she called 911. The detectives also confronted her with the incriminating videos they had found on her phone. However, she told them that she had no memory of recording those videos. After the interview, 42-year-old Sarah Boone was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and held in Orange County jail without bond.
Sarah Boone is Serving Her Sentence at a Florida Prison Facility Today
After several delays, Sarah Boone’s trial finally commenced on October 14, 2024. While the prosecution claimed that the defendant intended to kill Jorge Torres by keeping him inside the suitcase through the night, the defense argued that she suffered from battered woman syndrome. Sarah also took the stand and was questioned by the prosecution about her reasons for not unzipping the suitcase on the fateful night. She responded, “I wanted him to try to understand how I felt so maybe he could progress and be a better person.” She also claimed that Jorge started threatening her from inside the suitcase. As per her accounts, she was afraid that he would hurt her if he were able to get out of the suitcase. Thus, in order to prevent that, she allegedly hit his hand with a baseball bat as he attempted to make his way out.
In her defense, Sarah also told the jurors that she didn’t know that he could pass away inside the suitcase and that murder was not her intention. Finally, on October 25, 2024, the jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching a verdict. She was convicted of second-degree murder of Jorge Torres. About a week or so later, she and her defense filed a motion for a new trial by alleging prosecutorial misconduct and other complaints, but the judge denied her request. Before Sarah was sentenced on December 2, 2024, the victim’s mother, Blanca, stated that Sarah “not only killed my son, she killed a father, a brother, an uncle.” She added, “Sometimes when I look out the window, I’m waiting for him to come and say, ‘Mom, I love you.'”
Several other family members of Jorge Torres spoke during the sentencing hearing, including his sister and daughter. Later, the convict also took the stand and alleged that he used to inflict all kinds of abuse on her, including choking, stabbing, kicking, and punching. She stated, “I forgive myself for falling in love with a monster. And no matter how grotesque he may become, I still loved him, hoped, and forgave.” On December 2, 2024, she was sentenced to life in prison. As of today, she is currently incarcerated at Lowell C.I. Annex in Ocala, Florida.
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