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Alcoholism. That's how Sarah Boone's defense began their opening statements. Her lead attorney James Owens told jurors about the alcohol addiction she and her Jorge Torres dealt with and how it often mixed in with domestic violence. Owens argued that the suitcase Torres was zipped in was a physical restraint to block a potential attack in Boone's attempt at self-defense. Domestic violence was a running theme in the relationship between the defendant and the victim.
S1, EP32 "Closing Arguments"
Closing arguments began on the sixth day of trial. The State delivered their final remarks by detailing their case against Sarah Boone accusing her of intentionally killing Jorge Torres by keeping him stuck in a suitcase for 11 hours. Prosecutor Dave Cacciatore stuck to the legal stipulation of second-degree homicide. He argued that the prosecution does not need to prove intention in Boone's actions which led up to her boyfriend, Jorge Torres' death.
S1, EP33 "Trapped"
Closing arguments by the State continued. Prosecutor Dave Cacciatore argued that she had no justification of ending Jorge Torres life using a small suitcase despite the mental health issues she was dealing with. Next, was Sarah Boone's defense to give their closing arguments to jurors. They wanted to button up their case that the defendant was simply a battered woman who defended herself from her abusive boyfriend that day he died in a suitcase.
S1, EP34 "Surviving Domestic Violence"
Defense attorney James Owens claimed Sarah Boone's mind at the time of Jorge Torres' death was that of a psychologically abused victim and not a person who wanted to kill a person. Fear and trauma was what led her to zip up the suitcase with her abuser stuck inside and why she refused to open the suitcase back up. Owens contended that years of trauma and abuse at the hands of her boyfriend led her to fighting back in zipping him up in a suitcase and leaving him in there for hours until he died.
S1, EP35 "Justified Homicide"
During closing arguments, Sarah Boone's lead attorney tried to sow doubt in the minds of jurors as to her role in her boyfriend, Jorge Torres's death. James Owens did this by re-introducing photographic and video evidence of the times Torres was physically abusive to Boone. Owens painted Jorge Torres as the traumatizing abuser whose actions led to his death. Next, the State's turn to give their final appeal to the jury in their rebuttal on why Boone was guilty of second-degree murder.
