A transgender man was subjected to brutal physical abuse for over a month at a motel in upstate New York, ultimately leading to his death. The perpetrators allegedly carried out a series of heinous acts of violence on Sam Nordquist, including using various objects such as sticks, dog toys, ropes, canes, and belts, as well as assaulting him with a table leg and a broomstick. The severity of the torture inflicted on Nordquist, 24, resulted in his tragic demise, as stated in court documents.
The distressing case unfolded when Nordquist’s body, a Minnesota native, was discovered discarded in a desolate field in upstate New York by the New York State Troopers. Captain Kelly Swift of the New York State Police described the ordeal as one of the most appalling crimes she had encountered in her two-decade-long law enforcement career. Nordquist had traveled to New York in September and had been residing at Patty’s Lodge motel in Canandaigua, near Rochester, with Precious Arzuaga.
Concerned for Nordquist’s well-being, his family alerted the authorities after losing contact with him. They resorted to launching a GoFundMe campaign to gather funds to travel to New York and search for him. According to his sister Kayla, Nordquist had embarked on the journey to meet his online girlfriend and had a return ticket.
A missing persons investigation was initiated on February 9, leading to the uncovering of a harrowing sequence of abuse at the motel, as disclosed by Captain Swift during a news briefing. Subsequently, Precious Arzuaga, Jennifer A. Quijano, Kyle Sage, Patrick A. Goodwin, and Emily Motyka were arrested by the police in connection with Nordquist’s death. All five suspects faced second-degree murder charges related to the tragic incident.
The accused individuals, hailing from various New York locations, including Geneva, Hopewell, and Rochester, were arraigned and remanded to Ontario County Jail without bail. District Attorney Jim Ritts condemned Nordquist’s death as an act of extreme depravity. Swift indicated during the press conference that the investigation had not ruled out the possibility of the incident being motivated by hate, although the inquiry was ongoing.
Ritts further expressed the severity of the case, deeming it as the most distressing homicide investigation that their office had ever been involved in. He concluded by firmly stating that no individual should ever have to endure the torment and suffering that Nordquist went through.
