VERDICT Reaction: FL v Sarah Boone — Suitcase Murder Trial

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: There cannot be any emotional outbursts when the verdict is read. Does everybody understand that? I see everybody nodding their heads. Okay. State, are we ready to bring in our jury? [00:00:12] Speaker 2: Yes, sir. [00:00:13] Speaker 1: Defense, are we ready to bring in our jury? [00:00:15] Speaker 2: Yes, John. [00:00:15] Speaker 1: All right, let's go ahead and bring in our jury. Everyone will remain seated. [00:00:29] Speaker 3: All right, folks, to bringing in the jury, Sarah Boone, who has waited four years for this moment, has attempted to litigate things on her own, went through eight different attorneys. Now is judgment day. Now, in just a few moments, she will find out what the rest of her life will be. Will she have an opportunity to walk out of that courtroom tonight, or will she be locked up for the rest of her life? Second-degree murder, manslaughter, culpable negligence, all on the table for this jury. [00:01:16] Speaker 1: State, do you recognize our jury? [00:01:17] Speaker 3: Which reached a verdict in less than an hour and a half. Let's listen in. [00:01:20] Speaker 1: Members of the jury, you may be seated. Thank you. Members of our jury, good evening. I understand that you've come to a verdict in this case. [00:01:27] Speaker 4: Yes. [00:01:28] Speaker 1: If you could please hand the verdict for you to the deputy, please. Thank you, sir. Madam Clerk, if you could please publish the verdict. [00:01:47] Speaker 5: In the circuit court of the non-judicial circuit and in Orange County, Florida, case number 2020 CF2603 with State of Florida versus Sarah Boone, verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree as charged in the information. So, same y'all, dated in Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on this 25th day of October 2024, the form has been signed by the court person. [00:02:14] Speaker 1: Madam Clerk, please poll our jury. [00:02:16] Speaker 5: Jurance seat number one, is this your true and correct verdict? Yes, it is. Jurance seat number two, is this your true and correct verdict? Yes, it is. Jurance seat number three, is this your true and correct verdict? Jurance seat number four, is this your true and correct verdict? Yes. Jurance seat number five, is this your true and correct verdict? Yes. Jurance seat number six, is this your true and correct verdict? Yes, ma'am. [00:02:36] Speaker 1: Members of our jury, again, I want to thank you for your time, your sacrifice, and your attention in this matter. I know that we spent almost two weeks together, and it was not taken lightly, and I really appreciate the time and the effort and the sacrifice that you put into this case. I want to advise you now of your final instruction. Members, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank you for your time and your consideration in this case. I also wish to advise you of some very special privileges enjoyed by jurors. No juror can ever be required to talk about the discussions that occurred in the jury room, except by court order. For many centuries, our society has relied upon juries for consideration of difficult cases. We have recognized for hundreds of years that a jury's deliberations, discussions, and votes should remain their private affair as long as they wish it. Therefore, the law gives you a unique privilege not to speak about the jury's work. Although you are at liberty to speak to anyone about your deliberations, you are also at liberty to refuse to speak to anyone. A request to discuss either your verdict or your deliberations may come from those who are simply curious, from those who might seek to find fault with you, from the media, from the attorneys, or elsewhere. It will be up to you to decide whether to preserve your privacy as a juror. With that, members of the jury, again, I thank you for your service. I'm going to ask you to return to the deliberation room. I'll be back there shortly with your jury certificates, and thank you. Ms. Boone, the jury has spoken in this matter and has found you guilty of murder in the second degree. The court adjudicates you guilty of murder in the second degree. As this is your first felony conviction, you are entitled to a pre-sentencing investigation by the Department of Corrections. Mr. Owens, are you seeking that in this case? Yes. Okay. State, I will order the Department of Corrections to prepare the pre-sentencing investigation. State, for the purposes of sentencing, do you anticipate eliciting any testimony from, be it the victims, victims' family? [00:05:07] Speaker 6: Two or three victim impact statements, sir. [00:05:12] Speaker 1: Okay. Mr. Owens, do you plan on presenting any evidence during the course of the sentencing hearing, sir? [00:05:19] Speaker 6: Probably some testimony from Dr. Harper. [00:05:22] Speaker 1: Okay. All right. How long do you think, state, that you would need? [00:05:30] Speaker 7: You mean timing-wise, or are we thinking? [00:05:32] Speaker 1: A quantum of time, sir. Yeah, well, normally it takes about 30 days or so. I'm confirming with Anita as to availability. I just want to know from your side of the ledger, how much time? Okay, 15 minutes. How much time do you think you're going to need to produce anything from your side of the ledger, sir? Mr. Owens? I'd say 30 minutes. Okay. 30 to 45. So if we set this for an hour, that would be sufficient? Part of the agreed. Okay. State agreed. Is that sufficient, Mr. Owens? [00:06:03] Speaker 8: Yes. [00:06:04] Speaker 1: Okay. All right. Give me a moment. [00:06:05] Speaker ?: Okay. All right. [00:06:05] Speaker 1: Give me a moment. All right. [00:06:35] Speaker 3: Sarah Boone, now a convicted murderer. She's convicted of second-degree murder in Florida. There is a large range of sentencing for that offense. Anywhere from 16 and three-quarter years to life. 16 and three-quarters years to life. So while this is phase one, which is absolutely significant, phase two of this case, the sentencing, will be enormous in determining whether or not Sarah Boone ever has the opportunity to be a free woman again. [00:07:22] Speaker 1: We can set this matter for 1.30 in the afternoon for sentencing on December 2. State, is that acceptable? It's a Monday. [00:07:36] Speaker 6: I have a status hearing, but I'll make it work. [00:07:39] Speaker 1: I can move it to later if necessary. [00:07:41] Speaker 6: I'm co-counseling. [00:07:42] Speaker 1: Okay. Defense. [00:07:45] Speaker 6: Yes, sir. That's Monday, December 2 at 1.30? Yes, sir. I can be here. All right. [00:07:57] Speaker 1: Ma'am, you've been adjudicated guilty. I now remand you into the custody of the Orange County Jail pending sentencing on December 2 at 1.30. State, anything else we need to address? [00:08:07] Speaker 8: Not from the state. [00:08:08] Speaker 1: Defense. All right. Thank you very much. We're off the record. [00:08:11] Speaker 3: There you saw the family of George Torres getting some sense of justice tonight, but they'll have an opportunity to address the court directly when it's time for victim impact statements on December the 2nd. She could get more than 16 to life is the range that the judge will have. Right now, she's being taken into custody formally as a convicted killer. However, she's been in custody for four years already. So this is not necessarily anything new for Sarah Boone. But once the conviction goes down in Florida, we see this all the time inside the courtroom. They take him into custody. And many times they will take their fingerprints once again in the courtroom and then take them back into custody. And what you're seeing here, James Owens, her attorney, and think about what he did. He was watching this program and saw that someone accused of murder in Florida didn't have an attorney and no one was coming forward. So he did. He's not even from Orlando. And here he is on the night that his client has been convicted, speaking with her and, you know, I guess preparing her for whatever's next. And the next phase is significant. It's absolutely important. And December 2nd, a big, big day in all of this. And it's a big day for George's family because the trial took on a little bit of a different nature. Because of the battered spouse syndrome defense, George Torres, the one who died a horrific death inside the suitcase, was then put on trial. And that's not easy for the family. But they're there for him, and I am sure they will be there again on December 2nd when the woman who murdered their loved one gets sentenced. And I could see it, even though it was just a profile shot. You could tell that this absolutely impacted Sarah Boone. You know, I never met her. I don't know her. But I know that she was hopeful. But that moment was very real for her when they said guilty of second-degree murder. And you look at it now, all of a sudden, that plea deal might be looking a little bit sweeter. Still with us, our think tank tonight, Bernardo Violona, Paulette Lofton-Benchu, and Philip Dubé, deputy public defender out in L.A., who's been with us through the years, as have the other members of our think tank covering this story, this case, and this saga. Philip, I'll get your reaction first to this rather swift verdict, less than an hour and a half on a Friday night. [00:11:10] Speaker 7: Yeah, I'm actually wearing a red tie tonight, Vinny. But to be honest with you, there's a lot of pink in it because I think of it almost like our purple states. There's a mix of the blue and the red. And I was really on the fence with so much of her case. She truly believed in her truth. She spoke truth to power. But the jury rejected her truth. She truly psyched herself up into believing that she was a battered partner. But the jury clearly rejected her truth. She is the prime example. This is the case. Why we settle. And it is so tragic that she did not take the 15 years against the advice of counsel. And unfortunately, we can only advise our clients. We cannot force them to take the deal. And she exercised her right. She held her head up high and took that stand. And she lost. And it's sad because the truth be told, she is never getting out. So you don't think she's getting out under these circumstances because of the torture? No, she will die. No, just because it's going to be an indeterminate sentence. She will be at the mercy of the Florida Department of Corrections parole board. I sincerely doubt that they will ever cut her loose. She's just going to be spending the rest of her life there as an inmate with a reg number. [00:12:33] Speaker 3: Bernarda Villalona, your reaction to tonight's verdict? [00:12:36] Speaker 9: I'm not surprised that this jury found Sarah Boone guilty. First off, when you think of the callousness and that she actually had this man inside of that suitcase, inside of that coffin, and walked away and had him there for hours, where she was the only person that could have gotten him out, I think that really stuck with the jury. Also, she never showed any type of remorse or compassion doing her testimony all throughout the trial itself. Plus, her own words in that videotape where she's cursing and not even caring for his pleas. Taking that all into account and also the use of the bat, she did herself in. And obviously, the jury did not find her credible. Obviously, the jury did not buy the battered syndrome and didn't buy the expert testimony in this case and found her guilty and found her guilty fairly quickly. [00:13:28] Speaker 3: Paulette Lofton, your thoughts, your reaction to this verdict tonight? [00:13:32] Speaker 10: I'm not surprised either. I think Philip was correct. Sometimes you just have to go to trial. I think Sarah committed herself to believing her story and believing her truth. And sometimes you just have to do the trial. Obviously, you know, in hindsight, she definitely should have taken the deal. But she stuck to her story. I think she did have some things on her side. The fact that the judge allowed all of that evidence in of the prior abuse. The fact that she had an expert on her side saying she was a battered woman. You know, I'm pretty sure she went into this feeling somewhat confident. Obviously, when the jury came back in an hour and a half, when she received that message, I'm sure her stomach sank. [00:14:17] Speaker 3: Benchu, what did you think of her reaction tonight? [00:14:21] Speaker 4: Well, Vinny, I just have to push back a little bit. Out of the greatest respect for Philip, and I have enormous respect for him, I reject the idea that people have their own truth. I think there's one truth. And the truth was that she did this. And whatever she has convinced herself is true in her own mind is not relevant. Nor do I think it is a tragedy that she rejected the plea deal. She should have taken the plea deal. I don't think it's a tragedy. I just think it's a mistake. A tragedy is when an innocent person dies. I don't think it's a tragedy here. I think she's a mistake. And if she deluded herself, the fault is hers. [00:15:07] Speaker 3: And here's her final moments in the courtroom. One thing about where she is right now, there are some defendants, and we've covered cases like that, where they get out on bond. And they're outside waiting, waiting, waiting for their trial. Then they get convicted. And then it's a major change in their life. Bernarda, how much of a change do you think this will be for Sarah Boone, going from inmate in the jail waiting for your trial to now a ward of the state going to the state penitentiary? [00:15:39] Speaker 9: Well, there's going to be a huge change for Sarah Boone, because you have to think that this trial and facing trial one day was giving her hope. Every day that she was waiting for her trial, she had hope of freedom at some point. And now today, that has been taken away from her. So not only is she going to lose hope when she goes back to the jail, but she's also looking to go to a state prison, which is completely different from the housing facility where she's at now, where she was doing good and she was a model citizen to fellow inmates. Now she's going with the mind frame that she may die in jail one day. So what is her hope to keep on going inside of that prison while she's serving this sentence? [00:16:21] Speaker 3: Let me ask you, Phillip, what are those conversations like after someone's been convicted? And you're the attorney, you're sitting there, you did the best you could do. The facts are what they are. The verdict is what it is. What is that conversation like? [00:16:36] Speaker 7: Well, the first thing I don't do is rub it in. I never, ever, ever whisper in there, see, I told you, you should have taken that deal. I don't. It's a tough moment. And I've said this repeatedly on your show, Vinny, and that is I've done 140 jury trials and at every verdict, I get butterflies. I get nervous. I get a little queasy. And frankly, I feel the grief that she feels. And yeah, I agree with Ben. It was a huge mistake. It's sort of a hybrid mistake tragedy. Obviously, there's a victim here. There's a defendant who will never see the light of day again. But, you know, I think she and her counsel, and just like myself when I do a trial, we truly believe in our defense. Otherwise, I would double, triple team my client with lawyers from my office to sit her down or any client down to say, we have zero chance. We are going to lose. You must take this deal. If you do not, you will never see the light of day again. And it sounds like that her previous eight attorneys told her that they needed to settle on her behalf and that it would be too risky to go to trial and she wouldn't listen. But in answer to your question, I don't rub it in. Instead, I commiserate with them. And in fact, sometimes I even hurl a few insults toward the system, toward the bench, toward prosecutors in my client's ear to console them a little bit so they understand that I'm with them. I never want my client to lose confidence or trust in me as their counsel, and I let them know immediately we will appeal. It's not over. We're going to take it from here, and we will fight for you to the bitter end. I want them to know that we will do that. [00:18:20] Speaker 3: You know, Paulette, looking at everything that's transpired tonight, and that shot of George's family inside the courtroom, to go through this case and this trial, it was George who was, you know, put on trial by the defense. That's what the defense was here. But they'll have their moment to speak about the impact of all of this at the sentencing. What are your thoughts about victim impact statements and its role in our system of justice? [00:18:59] Speaker 10: I think victim impact statements are very, very important because I think as lawyers and obviously judges, we have so many cases that we do. We see so many trials. We do so many trials. Being a judge, you're presiding over so many different sets of facts, and those victim impact statements really humanize the facts that you're hearing. They are getting, you know, the judges are listening to actual family members give their thoughts on what type of person he was. Obviously, you know, we were shown many videos of George not being a stand-up guy. We heard testimony that this relationship was probably absolutely horrible. But it's going to give the family a chance to humanize him and to tell the court that he was a good person outside of the few videos that the court had been shown. So I think it has a huge impact. I think, you know, obviously the defense's job in this case is to attack George, and I think that they did that. It's always difficult as a defense attorney to do that because you never want to speak ill of the dead. But unfortunately, you have to do that a little bit. But hopefully in the victim impact statements, they'll be able to rehabilitate the character that was torn down during the trial. [00:20:16] Speaker 3: Ben Chu, I think about this couple, and, you know, we've used the term toxic relationship. That was the term we were throwing around during your trial, during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial. And these relationships exist behind closed doors. Things can get ugly. You fuel it with alcohol or something else, and things get out of control. To me, that's the super tragedy that exists in places all around the country, and it's happening tonight on a Friday night. Somebody's opening up a bottle of something or smoking something else or snorting something else, and things are going to get ugly behind closed doors. And with all these high-profile cases and we see tragic results, it doesn't end the cycle, though. And to me, that's the other tragedy that gets revealed by something like this when it goes as bad as it can go. Because if George and Sarah were sober, this never would have happened. He wouldn't have gotten into the suitcase to begin with, or the fight, whatever it is, he would have been able to get out of the situation. She may not have done what she did. I just see two people that shouldn't be together, number one, and then obviously should not be engaging in any sort of mind-altering substances, whether it's alcohol or something else. It just makes everything that much worse. [00:21:49] Speaker 4: Yeah, Vinny, I think that's extremely well said, and I do agree with you that that aspect of it is tragic, and it is taking place, you know, all over the country probably tonight. [00:22:01] Speaker 3: Yeah. All right. The verdict is in, folks. Sarah Boone guilty, second-degree murder. Kelly Craft is at the courthouse. When we come back, she's going to speak with James Owens, Sarah Boone's attorney, in an exclusive interview. Don't go anywhere. [00:22:24] Speaker 11: In Georgia, for the trial of a wife who's accused of killing her husband and then burning his remains. We see the opportunity and the motive. Money, sex, new life. Gary Ferris was a very prominent Atlanta attorney. It is common knowledge that they had affairs. Defended, murdered, and desecrated her own husband. [00:22:47] Speaker 12: The Burn Pile Murder Trial. Live coverage weekday mornings, 8, 7 central, on Court TV. [00:22:59] Speaker 5: In the circuit court of the 9th Judicial Circuit and in Longtown, Florida, case number 2020 CF-2603, the State of Water v. Sarah Boone, the verdict. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of murder in the second degree as charged in the information. So the state bill dated in Orlando, Orange County, Florida, on this 25th date of October 2024. The court has been signed by the court person. [00:23:26] Speaker 1: Madam Clerk, please poll our jury. [00:23:28] Speaker 5: Jury seat number one, is this your Troy Correa verdict? Yes, it is. Jury seat number two, is this your Troy Correa verdict? Yes, it is. Jury seat number three, is this your Troy Correa verdict? Jury seat number four, is this your Troy Correa verdict? Yes. Jury seat number five, is this your Troy Correa verdict? Yes. Jury seat number six, is this your Troy Correa verdict? Yes, ma'am. [00:23:49] Speaker 3: Sarah Boone found guilty of second degree murder in the suitcase murder trial. Big verdict on this Friday night here on Court TV. We're going to take you straight down to the courthouse in Orlando. Kelly Craft is there with Sarah Boone's attorney. Kelly. [00:24:04] Speaker 13: Hey there, Vinnie. It didn't take very long for the jurors to return a verdict in this case. Sarah Boone guilty of second degree murder. We are joined now by her defense counsel who advocated for her vehemently throughout this trial. This is James Owens. James, what's your reaction to the verdict? [00:24:21] Speaker 6: Just disappointed. Sarah's devastated. She's disappointed. We felt like we had a good defense with the facts that we had. Obviously, we had some hurdles to overcome for the state's evidence. And for whatever reason, the jury didn't see it our way. We respect the jury's decision. I'm sure that Sarah Boone is going to want to appeal. I believe that she does have potentially two or three good appellate issues. So the next thing in store is I think we've got sentencing set for, I believe, Monday, December the 2nd at 1.30. And we intend to call Dr. Harper as a witness to speak about her other mental health issues that she struggles with. And hopefully, the court will consider that. [00:25:08] Speaker 13: Mr. Owens, Sarah Boone was offered a plea deal in this case. Manslaughter. She did not take it. What do you think now having the verdict? [00:25:17] Speaker 6: Well, ultimately, that's their decision. You know, they've got a couple of fundamental decisions. One is whether to plead guilty to anything. And the other is where to go to trial. And the other is, you know, whether to testify. And then the other is whether to appeal. And so Sarah Boone maintained that she wanted a trial the entire time. And we did discuss there were plea negotiations. And there were offers on the table for the lesser charge of manslaughter. But Sarah ultimately rejected those offers and wanted her day in court. [00:25:49] Speaker 13: She felt it seemed throughout this entire trial, she seemed to be very upbeat. It seemed, though, I was getting the sense she really felt she was not, she hadn't done anything criminally wrong. [00:26:00] Speaker 6: Well, I think, you know, I believe she's a battered spouse. And I believe she believes she's a battered spouse. Once she learned, and we gave her a bunch of material about the subject, once she learned, you know, what she had gone through with George Torres, I think she believed she was a battered spouse. So we believed in that scenario that she was justified in defending herself. And so she felt good because she had a defense. And she had lawyers, you know, initially she was going to represent herself. And then she did that for a while. And I think she appreciated the fact that we came in, myself, Tony Henderson, and Kevin Beck, and then our team. We had, you know, five or six people working on the case for the last 45 days, trying to get ready for trial. And I think she appreciated our efforts. She knew we were working hard. I've been here in Orlando for three weeks, and then the rest of the team's been here for two weeks. So we've been doing everything we could do to represent her to the best of our ability. And that's what we did with the time that we had. [00:27:02] Speaker 13: You really put up a good fight. Were you surprised that the jurors came back as quickly as they did? [00:27:08] Speaker 6: I was. I think that, you know, the rebuttal evidence where they played a bunch of videotapes of Sarah's phone, where there were some interactions with Sarah and George, I think that affected the jury. [00:27:22] Speaker 13: What do you think another big challenge was for you in this case? [00:27:28] Speaker 6: Well, of course, the suitcase video is difficult to deal with. And then, you know, her interrogation, the two-hour interrogation at the Sheriff's Department. So, I mean, you know, we have evidence. That's probably the best evidence in a case is videotape oftentimes is the best evidence. And, you know, we had some big hurdles to overcome. And obviously the jury, and I respect the jury's decision, saw it a different way than we presented. [00:27:56] Speaker 13: During your closing arguments, one of the things that you talked about was we're in 2024 and the perception that the state may be trying to give that she, in a way, deserved this, that she was the aggressor. You talked about how men are taught not to put a hand on a woman. I thought that that was pretty powerful. I thought that was going to resonate a little bit more with the jury. [00:28:17] Speaker 6: Yeah, I think that, you know, it was a long trial and the testimony came out. You know, the state got in a bunch of evidence about, like I said, the video interactions between George and Sarah. And some of that, it seemed like Sarah was berating him a little bit and talking down to him a little bit. And, you know, the state had argued that this was a mutual abusive situation, that Sarah verbally, emotionally maybe abused him. So I think there was some of that going on in the relationship. It was a dysfunctional, toxic relationship. Obviously, those two didn't need to be together. But they, for whatever reason, they could not stay away from each other. And even when she had been battered multiple times by him over time, for whatever reason, they couldn't break up. And it just, I think everybody around, law enforcement, the neighbors, family, all knew how bad the situation was. But for whatever reason, they were drawn to each other and couldn't let go. [00:29:23] Speaker 13: The judge made it clear before the verdict was read that he did not want any outbursts in the courtroom. We had one earlier from George Torres' family. No real reaction from Sarah Boone. I just saw her talking with you. But obviously, as you were mentioning, seems to be not very happy, devastated with the verdict. [00:29:39] Speaker 6: Yeah, she couldn't believe it. We were optimistic. You know, we were optimistic. And I understand, you know, these things happen. And there's a murder charge. So, you know, somebody died. So it's difficult for a jury sometimes not to come back with something. And they came back with the highest charge. I was hoping maybe for something lesser. But, you know, we understand. Sarah's in shock. You know, it happened. And then she was escorted out of the court fairly quickly. So we really didn't get a chance to talk that much. She said she would call me tomorrow. I'm going to be driving back home. And we'll talk. I'll be on the road for six hours. So we'll talk for however long. But, you know, I explained to her she had a right to an appeal. And she had two or three good appellate issues. So I told her to keep her head up. [00:30:28] Speaker 13: Mr. Owens, you were not her first attorney. She went through several attorneys. How was she to work with? [00:30:35] Speaker 6: She was fine. I think once she realized, you know, it wasn't just me, you know, and I spent a lot of time down here with her. And then once she realized Tony Henderson really helped me out a lot with Sarah Boone. And, you know, I've represented some difficult clients. I've been doing it quite a while. But Sarah, you know, was, of course, she didn't want to give up the power because she'd had the case for four and a half years. She had so many different lawyers. But I think once she started to trust us and realized that we really cared about her, we really believed in her, and we wanted to do everything we could to fight for her, I think she finally, I say finally, it didn't take too long for her to develop a sense that we were really genuinely trying to help her. And I think once she saw how hard we were working and everything we were trying to do to help her, we didn't have a problem. [00:31:26] Speaker 13: And you got involved with this case because you saw that she had taken out an ad. [00:31:31] Speaker 6: Yeah, as you know, the court had ruled that she forfeited her right to a lawyer, a public lawyer. And so she was going to have to represent herself. And I think she went to a couple of hearings and realized that that's a lot harder than it looks. And that's when she had reached out for somebody in the private bar to take the case. And I came down and visited with her, and I agreed to do it. So we were in it to win it. We tried everything we could do to present the case in a fashion that the jury would consider her side. [00:32:07] Speaker 13: I think one of the biggest moments was when you got the expert of the states to talk about the fact that she did believe that Sarah Boone suffered from battered spouse syndrome. I thought that that was going to be a big game changer for you. [00:32:19] Speaker 6: Well, it was. You know, I've got some disagreements about how that was all handled because she came out with an opinion that she had never expressed before. [00:32:28] Speaker 13: And then you had to conduct a deposition right there in court. [00:32:31] Speaker 6: Yeah, I've never had to do that. That was a first. But it was a unique situation. Of course, you know, the judge had set a date certain about trying the case. So I had the case for about 45 days. But we tried to schedule Dr. Werner's deposition. I believe we took it on October the 4th. And then later on, she came up with another opinion that I wasn't aware of until until in the courtroom. And so the judge allowed me to take a deposition. I've never seen I've never heard of it happening before. First time it ever happened. But it did. And, you know, we did the best that we could to to counter that and then to cross examine her. But, yeah, I think initially she had said she she hadn't made up her mind about it. But I think after a little bit of time, she she decided to go ahead and give the opinion that that Sarah did suffer from battered spouse. And that corroborated what Dr. Harper had said that she she did suffer from battered spouse syndrome. So I guess that was a good of that. [00:33:32] Speaker 13: Any thought in hindsight that maybe there was a motion on lemonade for you not to use the battered spouse syndrome defense to not talk about self-defense? Obviously, you got to be able to do that. The state was very clear. She needs to say there's an overt act. She eventually did. She said his hand coming out of the suitcase was that overt act. In hindsight, could there have been another strategy that you could have taken that could have been more successful, maybe not argue battered spouse syndrome? [00:34:00] Speaker 6: No, I don't think so. I think, you know, what she was saying in that two minute video to George while he was in the suitcase, I'm I'm convinced was tied to the trauma that she had received. From the abuse that she had suffered from George and I just think Dr. Harper, you know, it's a it's a complex syndrome. It really is. And it's difficult for people to lay people to understand. I've tried to talk to, you know, the psychologist, the psychiatrist about it to try to understand it. You know, why somebody wouldn't leave that situation? Why? You know, if they're getting beaten up, they're getting stabbed in the in the leg. Why wouldn't you leave that situation? It's just it's one of those things. It's a head scratcher for a lot of people. And so that's the reason you bring in expert testimony is to try to explain that to a jury what was going on. But it's it's difficult for people to really understand. [00:34:55] Speaker 13: When Sarah Boone refused the plea offer, the judge made it very clear to her that the minimum he could sentence her to would be 22 years in prison. Is she prepared for the sentencing? It's going to be in December. [00:35:08] Speaker 6: I don't think she's prepared. I don't I don't believe that. You know, I think she was in hopes, you know, she was excited about us and she felt like she had a defense and that we were doing everything and she had the experts lined up. So I don't think she was thinking about this at all. I think she was very optimistic. That's why she was optimistic during the trial. She was she was happy with us every day. She was happy with what we were doing. And of course, you know, she understood that it was a valid defense in Florida. A battered spouse using it to justify the force that you use. So, yeah, she's devastated and she she it hadn't she hadn't come to grips. Like I say, I'll talk to her tomorrow. But she was just stunned today. [00:35:55] Speaker 13: Vinny also has a question. Vinny, what's the question? [00:35:57] Speaker 3: Yeah, I had a couple of questions for James. First, at the sentencing, will this judge have much discretion in what the sentence can be? And do you expect Sarah to express any sense of remorse at sentencing? [00:36:15] Speaker 13: At the sentencing, will the judge, Vinny's asking at the sentencing, will the judge have any discretion? She this is her first felony. The judge made that very clear. So that's the first question. And then the second question is, will Sarah Boone say something? Will she express any sort of remorse for what took place? Will she make a statement and allocution at her sentencing? I know we have to take some preparation time. [00:36:37] Speaker 6: Yeah, I think I think the prosecutor had said the low end of the guidelines was 22 years. And I think the judge told Sarah that. So I think that probably is the minimum, unless there's something I'm missing, maybe a downward departure. I don't I don't know that she would qualify. But, you know, the judge has a range and the judge has the discretion. And the judge, you know, is going to hear from the victim's family. And then the judge is going to hear from Dr. Harper. And ultimately, the judge is going to have to hear from Sarah Boone about this. I don't know what her position is going to be, but we'll see. [00:37:16] Speaker 13: Mr. Owens, thank you so much. [00:37:17] Speaker 6: Thank you. [00:37:18] Speaker 13: Nice work. [00:37:18] Speaker 6: All right. [00:37:19] Speaker 3: Thanks. I appreciate it. [00:37:20] Speaker 13: Vinny, that's the latest. We'll send it back to you. [00:37:23] Speaker 3: Kelly Craft at the courthouse with Sarah Boone's attorney. We've got all our guests here. We're going to take a break. When we come back, more of our coverage. It's a big Friday night. It's a double verdict Friday. Sarah Boone guilty of second degree murder in Orlando. [00:37:41] Speaker 5: So I shook the suitcase. [00:37:50] Speaker 14: I shook the suitcase trying to get his hand to go back in, shaking it and telling him that please stop doing this. Please, please stop doing this to me. Please stop doing this to me. [00:38:01] Speaker 6: So his hand actually got out of the suitcase? [00:38:04] Speaker 14: Yes. [00:38:05] Speaker 6: And you went to the suitcase? [00:38:07] Speaker 14: Yes. [00:38:07] Speaker 6: And shook it? [00:38:08] Speaker 14: Yes. [00:38:09] Speaker 6: Did that force his hand to go back in? [00:38:11] Speaker 14: No. [00:38:13] Speaker 3: No, because then she had to hit the hand with the bat. And what else did she hit with that bat? Sarah Boone, convicted tonight of second degree murder, facing the potential of dying behind bars down in Florida. Welcome back to our verdict night coverage. We have a great panel of guests with us trying to put some perspective on all of this. Look at all these people. Dr. Daniel Boeber is with us, forensic psychiatrist. Dr. Boeber, let me go to you first and take us to Sarah Boone, right? She just found out, like, less than an hour ago, that she could potentially be in prison for the rest of her life. She's not going home tonight. The jury did not believe her. What is tonight going to be like for Sarah Boone? [00:39:08] Speaker 2: Well, I think she's probably in a state of shock, Vinny, and she's probably wishing that she took that plea about now. I don't think the jury found her argument to be very sympathetic. She basically heard him beg for his life, and she turned her back on him and was taunting him. So, the battered woman defense just didn't fly with the jury. And what are your thoughts tonight also? [00:39:30] Speaker 3: Because immediately after, we saw a shot of George's family inside the courtroom. They left the courthouse. They didn't want to give a statement tonight, but they'll have an opportunity at sentencing to speak. What are your thoughts tonight about what it means for this family that George is never coming back, but the person that they believe was responsible was, in fact, held responsible here? [00:39:58] Speaker 2: Well, I'm sure they find some sense of relief that he was held responsible, but listen, there are no winners here. There are only losers. Everyone loses in this case, and it's just a tragedy, however you slice it. [00:40:09] Speaker 3: Let me ask you, Ben Chu, do you think Sarah Boone will demonstrate any sense of remorse at her sentencing when the rest of her life is in the hands of the judge? I don't. [00:40:26] Speaker 4: I think she's been quite consistent, and I think suddenly pleading contrition would seem to be out of character for her. [00:40:39] Speaker 3: Paulette, do you think she turns on James Owens, the man who volunteered his time, flew in from Pensacola, was watching this show, and saw that there was someone facing murder charges who didn't have a lawyer? Do you think that she turns on him? [00:41:00] Speaker 10: I really hope not. I love Mr. Owens' passion. And I think he said it correctly. You know, everyone has a right to a trial, and sometimes you just have to try a case. [00:41:10] Speaker 3: I know you hope she doesn't, but will she? [00:41:14] Speaker 10: I don't think she will. I think Mr. Owens did as well as he possibly could. He did what she wanted him to do. He presented all of the defenses that she had been trying to make on her own, so I don't think that she's going to turn on him. I don't think so. [00:41:31] Speaker 3: Bernarda, what do you think happens at the sentencing? How do you think it plays? Is she, what is she going to do, and what will prosecutors do here? [00:41:44] Speaker 9: Well, you know what the prosecutors are going to do? Remember, that's when the victims that are impacted by the death of their loved one are going to be able to speak, speak, and speak where there is no objection, where they're going to show their true emotions, where they don't have to suppress their emotions like they had to do doing the trial inside of that courtroom, doing closing arguments, or doing the testimony. So that sentencing is going to be very emotional. It's actually one of the most emotional stages of any criminal case, because it's the moment where you hear from the family members and they're expressing so much emotion about the loss of their loved one and how much they hate the resentment that they have towards the defendant for taking the life away from that loved one. The question will be is whether Sarah Boone will be able to control herself, whether she'll be able to constrain herself in not responding to this family and not looking at them and not even going off on them and trying to blame them for what actually happened. So who knows what's going to happen into this courtroom, but we do know it's going to be an emotionally charged day. [00:42:46] Speaker 3: Philip Dubé, my guess is this is going to be one of those inmates who will be filing papers till the end of time. Till the end of time. What are your thoughts? [00:43:01] Speaker 7: Oh, I've had clients like that. They commit what we call lawfare or the crime of veritry. It's actually on the books out here. It's just filing frivolous civil lawsuits, and they've actually criminalized it. In the civil world, they call it the vexatious litigant. But if it crosses that line where there's this intent to really vex and annoy, it's criminalized where they can file criminal charges against you. I think a lot of it is going to depend on her diagnosis. We're going to hear at sentencing what her mental illness might be. My hunch is that it is a personality disorder, and those are the hardest to treat because there's no known medicinal treatment for it. It's typically dealt with through behavioral therapy, where you have to sit down in a one-on-one with a therapist wagging their finger at you, teaching you how to put your bad behavior in a box. But truthfully, the older you get, the harder it is to unlearn bad behavior. So I don't know that she will ever change. She is the type of person that will only get older, I think. And I hope for Mr. Owen's sake that nothing happens. And let's be honest, even if she does file, nothing will happen to him. You want to go to the state bar, go to the bar. He can probably even give her a stamp, help her fill out the forms. The bar is going to close it out. Nothing is going to happen to the man. He was quite, quite prepared, and he did a great, great job. [00:44:26] Speaker 3: Yeah, all they have to do is take a look at the video of the trial, I mean, and the passion that he brought and why he was there. Yeah, but I fear for him. I fear for him because, you know, he'll be potentially in her crosshairs at some point. All right, guests are staying with us. When we come back, we're going to try to wrap this up and put some sense of context on it. But the headline is huge tonight. Sarah Boone guilty of the top charge of second-degree murder in the suitcase murder trial. [00:44:59] Speaker 12: What happened that night? Are you not prepared to take responsibility for any of your crimes? Interview with a Killer, a Court TV original series. Encore presentation next, only on Court TV. The convicted murderer of the horrific honor killings. What happened that night? Speaks out for the first time on camera. You make it sound like you're the victim here. Exactly. Interview with a Killer, Sunday, 8, 7 central on Court TV. [00:45:31] Speaker 8: Yes, every relationship has their arguments. But we are not the type of people that you guys are portraying us to be. [00:45:43] Speaker 14: She especially. [00:45:45] Speaker 8: Especially her. So please, if you can. Dismiss. Dismiss this case. Close. Drop it. She is not that type of person. Good person. She's a great person. Angel. I know she's an angel. She's close to her. Yes, ma'am. [00:46:15] Speaker 3: There's a video. Played for the jury. Sarah Boone and George Torres and Sarah Boone in that moment also controlling and coaching and telling him what to say. What about the dynamic between these two that resulted in the murder of George Torres? Welcome back. Sarah Boone's been convicted. Second degree murder. We've got our guest with us. Dr. Daniel Bober. This all comes down to a relationship, obviously, right? This is domestic violence. This is a relationship. How do you see the dynamic between these two? Because they, you know, we heard one story about the domestic abuse, the spousal syndrome, all of that. On the other hand, we saw and heard the video. We see that video. It seems like every time a videotape is recording, Sarah Boone's in charge. [00:47:07] Speaker 2: It really shows the toxicity and the dysfunctionality within the relationship. And it really casts her in a very negative light and not only shows you what she's capable of, but shows you who she is as a person. And she really comes across as a less than sympathetic figure. [00:47:24] Speaker 3: You know, Bernarda, what if, like from the beginning of this story, and we covered it from the beginning, she had come outside and when she spoke to 911, she spoke to the first officer, had just said, we were drinking, I was drunk, I was out of my mind, I was taunting him, and then I passed out. And I wished that I didn't pass out. I can't believe I killed him. What do you think? If she had said that from the beginning, acknowledged it, showed some level of remorse, how do you think this whole thing would have been handled? [00:48:05] Speaker 9: If Sarah Boone had said from the very beginning, when the cops responded, that she was passed out, she was drinking, this was an accident, you know what would have happened, Vinny? Having been a prosecutor for 16 years, she would not have been charged with murder. More than likely, she would have been charged with manslaughter, but she wouldn't have been charged with that high count of murder. So the charging decisions would have been different. [00:48:30] Speaker 3: Paulette Lofton, let me ask you, how different would this trial have been without the video? [00:48:37] Speaker 10: Oh, I think it would have been completely different. Without the videos, without her interrogation, I agree. I think she definitely could have walked or it could have been manslaughter. I think that video and the fact that she tried to say that there was this whole other section of time where there wasn't a video, I think that really, really did a number on her chances. [00:48:58] Speaker 3: Philip Dubé, are you feeling philosophical tonight? Is there any lesson? You know, these tragedies that we cover, I try to glean something from them. Is there any sort of a lesson or something we can take away from all of this? [00:49:14] Speaker 7: Think tank, number one, don't talk to the cops. They want to take you down to the station and talk to you. Don't say a word. I wasn't asking for advice for criminal defendants, Philip Dubé. Why not? Please. Come on now. No. First of all, I'm a firm believer in taking early responsibility. Had she early on really tried to resolve the case, you never know. Maybe they could have resolved it for like an involuntary manslaughter, the culpable negligence theory, rather than it being an intentional reckless disregard type homicide theory. She's not going to walk away from this. I truly believe that had she had even come clean at the gate with the cops, they still would have hooked her up and hauled her in. She's just not going to walk away. The only question is what degree of homicide they would file on her. But the more cooperative she is, the less chatty she is, the less video she has, the less evidence they have. So I think the lesson here is A, don't record your crimes, don't memorialize your crimes, and shut your pie hole if the cops want to come talk to you. [00:50:21] Speaker 3: Okay, we've got folks who can bleep all of that out, because if there's any criminal defendants listening now, we don't need to help them along the way here, Philip. Let me ask you, Ben Chu, what are you going to take away? Like, you know, a year from now, when you think back about this case, what's the image that's going to come into your mind, and what do you think is going to stick with the public when it comes to Sarah Boone and the suitcase murder trial? [00:50:49] Speaker 4: I think the prosecutor's description of the suitcase as a coffin. I mean, that is something that is fixed in my mind and then juxtaposed with the baseball bat. And the combination is ineffable cruelty. [00:51:10] Speaker 3: Dr. Bober, let me ask you, what do you think was the underlying cause of what happened here? Is it the alcohol? Is it a sense of evil? How did we end up where we ended up here with George Torres dead? [00:51:33] Speaker 2: I think it was the perfect storm. I think it was the rage over the relationship, over feeling abused, combined with the alcohol and taken all together, it had lethal consequences. So I think it was a combination of factors. And let me ask you this. [00:51:49] Speaker 3: Is there any way for folks who are in a relationship like that to resolve that relationship without breaking up the relationship? Or is the, if you're, if you're in a toxic situation, is the only way to safety just to walk away from one another? [00:52:11] Speaker 2: Well, it's beyond the scope of this program. But what I would tell people who are going through these types of relationships is that you have to try to get therapy, get counseling. But if you need to extricate yourself from the relationship, it's very important to have a safety plan to get yourself out of the relationship. And that includes covering all your financial needs, your emotional needs, where you're going to reside. And you really have to come up with a plan and execute that plan with your support system. That's the only way out. [00:52:40] Speaker 3: Big thank you to all our guests working late on a Friday night for this verdict night. Bernardo Villalona, Ben Chu, Dr. Daniel Bober, Paulette Loftin, and, of course, Philip Dubé. Thank you. Coming up next, folks, an encore presentation. If you missed it, you've got to watch it. Of the first episode of Interview with a Killer, you're going to hear the chilling interview with serial killer Brian Stephen Smith from an Alaska prison. That is coming up next right here on your front row seat to justice. All right, folks, it's been a long night, a long week. Thank you so much for watching. The bottom line, justice was served tonight. Justice was served for George Torres and his family. This was cruelty. This was torture. This should not have happened. And the jury spoke loudly.