Killer Cases: Death in a Suitcase on A&E: The Story Behind Sarah Boone's Trial
The seventh season of the documentary series Killer Cases highlights the case of Jorge Torres Jr., who was found strangled in a suitcase after a game.
What is the series about?
Killer Cases: Death in a Suitcase (A&E, 2025) follows the legal process and investigation of one of the most bizarre murder cases in recent American history. The documentary series, led by experienced investigative journalist Brian Ross, takes viewers into the courtroom where Sarah Boone is charged with the murder of her boyfriend, Jorge Torres Jr. The case began in February 2020 when Boone called emergency services and explained that she had found her boyfriend lifeless inside a suitcase after a night of drinking and a game that went wrong. The series utilizes authentic footage from police interrogations and the key video evidence that ultimately convicted the accused.
The real case
The real case behind the documentary took place in Winter Park, Florida. Sarah Boone initially explained to investigators from the Orange County Sheriff's Office that she and Jorge Torres Jr. had been drinking wine and playing hide and seek. According to her account, they both thought it would be fun if he got inside a suitcase. She then claimed that she went to bed and fell asleep, believing he could get out by himself. When she woke up the next morning, she found him suffocated inside the suitcase.
However, the investigation took a dramatic turn when police gained access to Boone's mobile phone. Here, they found two videos recorded that same night. The videos showed the suitcase lying upside down while Jorge Torres Jr. desperately called for help, explaining that he couldn't breathe. Instead of helping him, Boone could be heard mocking him in the videos and referring to previous incidents where he had allegedly cheated on her or treated her poorly. This evidence became central for the prosecution in proving that it was not a tragic accident, but a deliberate act.
Timeline of the case
The case dragged on for over four years, primarily due to Sarah Boone changing defense attorneys numerous times — a total of nine different lawyers were involved in the case before she ultimately represented herself or was assigned a permanent defender for the trial itself. The trial at the end of 2024 was closely followed by true crime enthusiasts worldwide via livestreams from the Florida courtroom. The jury took only a few hours to reach a guilty verdict, as the videos from the phone were considered the ultimate evidence of her intent.