Update:
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County jury has found Sarah Boone guilty of second-degree murder.
Stay with Channel 9 for the latest on this case.
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It was an emotional day for the family of Jorge Torres as they sat in the courtroom feet away from their loved one’s accused killer.
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Boone is accused of killing her boyfriend Jorge Torres by trapping him inside of a suitcase in February of 2020.
The defense has claimed Boone was suffering from “Battered Spouse Syndrome” and was in fear for her life when she picked up a baseball bat and hit Torres while he was inside the bag.
On Day 10 of Sarah Boone’s murder trial the family appeared in court for the first time to hear attorney’s closing arguments.
As prosecutors played a video of Torres’ final moments inside of the suitcase, some family members were audibly emotional and had to leave the room.
The emotional outburst caused defense attorneys for Sarah Boone to ask for a mistrial. Judge Michael Kraynick ultimately denied that motion and asked attorneys to continue their closing arguments.
The defense used their closing arguments to point out the violent history between Sarah Boone and Jorge Torres.
Both Boone and Torres had been arrested on domestic violence related charges, and at some point, before Torres’ death, Boone had an order of no contact placed on Torres.
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The defense tried to sew doubt in the minds of jurors by reintroducing photographic and video evidence of the times Torres was physically abusive to Boone.
They also reminded jurors of Boone’s testimony earlier in the trial.
Boone testified she thought Torres could get out of the suitcase during their drunken game of hide and seek.
Boone said on the witness stand, she saw Torres’ hand poke out of the suitcase. She testified that she hit Torres’ hand with a baseball bat because she feared Torres would get out and attack her.
“She instinctively reacted to those set of circumstances to save her life. To save herself from another one of these,” said Boone’s Attorney James Owens as he showed the jury a picture of a bruised Sarah Boone.
Meanwhile, in the prosecution’s closing argument attorney Dave Cacciatore told the jury it’s quite possible Jorge Torres himself was a battered spouse.
Cacciatore replayed a crucial piece of video evidence recorded by Boone before Torres death.
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The video shows Torres inside of the suitcase. In the video, Torres repeatedly calls out Boone’s name and says he “can’t breathe.”
In the video Boone can be heard telling Torres, “That’s on you,” and curses at Torres.
In order for jurors to convict Boone of Second-Degree Murder, Jurors must believe the prosecution has met three facts beyond any reasonable doubt.
Those facts include Jorge Torres is dead, Torres’ death was caused by Boone, and Boone was in a depraved state of mind when Torres was killed.
Prosecutors believe the video evidence of Torres’ final moments should remove any doubt in the mind of jurors.
“The medical examiner explained to us that with each breath Jorge Torres took in, there was less oxygen in this box,” said Dave Cacciatore with the State Attorney’s office, as he pointed to the suitcase where Torres died. “Jorge Torres was murdered in this box.”
Judge Michael Kraynick told the jury to prepare for a long night.
If a unanimous decision is not reached by 10 pm Friday, Jury deliberations would stop and then resume on Monday.
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