Pearl Walker

Pearl Walker testified for the defense on Day 8 about injuries and an upset demeanor she had observed in Sarah Boone. She said they had shared an apartment building for about four years and spoke during brief porch encounters. Walker described arm marks, a black eye, and an appearance as though Boone had been choked. She knew Jorge Torres poorly and could not say whether Boone had been under the influence of alcohol.

The court sustained objections when Walker repeated or began to repeat Boone's explanations for her condition. Kevin Beck argued that testimony about Boone's treatment of Walker would counter suggestions of grandiosity or narcissism; William Jay disputed its relevance. After initially allowing those questions, the court sustained character and relevance objections following a sidebar. It also sustained a foundation objection to a question about a pattern of abuse between Boone and Torres.

On cross-examination, Walker could not remember when she had seen the injuries and confirmed that she lived five doors away. Asked who caused the marks, she described hearing dogs bark and inferring possible arguments without identifying who caused them. The defense declined redirect, and she was excused. James Owens later invoked her observations in closing argument as support for the defense's account of abuse.

Before Walker testified, Owens requested a Zoom appearance, citing her daughter's account of bereavement and physical difficulty attending court. The court required a deposition unless the State waived it and directed the defense to file a motion for remote testimony. It subsequently denied the Zoom motion because the State did not consent.