CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (AP) — Seven individuals have been accused of brutally ending the life of a 24-year-old man in upstate New York after allegedly subjecting him to a prolonged period of torture that involved sexual abuse, coercion to ingest feces, and dousing him with bleach, prosecutors revealed on Wednesday. The harrowing details emerged as the suspects faced first-degree murder charges in the case of Sam Nordquist, whose lifeless body was discovered last month wrapped in plastic and discarded in a field in the Finger Lakes area. In addition to the murder charges, the group, previously apprehended on second-degree murder charges, now also face accusations of kidnapping and endangering the welfare of children as outlined in the 11-count indictment.
Nordquist, identified as a Black transgender individual hailing from Minnesota, was not believed to be a victim of a hate crime, despite some of the alleged perpetrators self-identifying as LGBTQ+ and one of them reportedly residing with Nordquist, authorities revealed. Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Wolford, in a press conference, described the horrific treatment Nordquist endured in the month leading up to his tragic demise on February 2 as being akin to being treated “like a dog.” Wolford emphasized that Nordquist was subjected to physical violence, sexual assault, starvation, captivity, and other forms of abuse that transcended any clear rationale, beyond simply attributing it to his identity markers. The decision to elevate the charges to first-degree murder was made due to the extreme torture inflicted upon Nordquist.
One of the defendants, Precious Arzuaga, faces charges related to allegedly coercing two children, aged 7 and 12, to participate in the cruel acts detailed in the indictment. The remaining six individuals implicated in the murder case are Patrick Goodwin, Kyle Sage, Jennifer Quijano, Emily Motyka, Kimberly Sochia, and Thomas Eaves. An arraignment date is yet to be announced, and attempts to reach out to the defendants’ legal representatives on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Nordquist was reported missing on February 9, having arrived in New York in September and subsequently losing contact with family members earlier in the year. The initial arrests were made following a police search of a room at the Patty’s Lodge motel in Canandaigua, New York, which was known to be the last place Nordquist had stayed. According to Nordquist’s mother, Linda Nordquist, her son had relocated from Minnesota to New York in September to meet a woman he had developed a romantic relationship with online. Despite plans to return home in October, Nordquist opted to extend his stay to focus on nurturing the newfound connection.
