Five charged with trans man’s murder in New York after ‘repeated acts of torture’ | US crime

Five people in New York have been charged with subjecting a transgender man from Minnesota to “repeated acts of violence and torture” before murdering him, according to police.

The allegations come after the discovery of human remains believed to be those of Sam Nordquist, 24, in a field near Canandaigua in upstate New York on 13 February.

Police on Friday identified Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19, as suspects in Nordquist’s slaying. They are all charged with second-degree murder with depraved indifference, police said.

“Our investigation has revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam’s tragic death,” police captain Kelly Swift said during a press conference on Friday.

“Based on evidence and witness statements, we have determined that Sam endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse at the hands of multiple individuals.

“Our investigation has confirmed that from early December 2024 to February 2025 Sam was subjected to repeated acts of violence and torture in a manner that ultimately led to his death.”

Police had launched a missing person investigation on 9 February after Nordquist’s family asked them to carry out a welfare check.

Evidence that Nordquist was subjected to ongoing physical abuse was discovered after police searched several locations, including Patty’s Lodge, a roadside motel where he was last known to be staying.

They believe his body was taken to the field where the remains were discovered in an attempt to “conceal the crime” that killed Nordquist, Swift said.

A fundraiser has been launched on GoFundMe to help his family which as of Sunday had received more than $47,000 from about about 1,300 donors.

Originally from Oakdale, Minnesota, Nordquist had travelled to New York in September to meet his “online girlfriend”, according to the fundraising page.

It states that he had purchased a round-trip plane ticket and was supposed to return home by mid-October.

Nordquist’s family had not heard from him since January – and the last time he was seen was in early February.

In an interview with Minnesota’s KARE television news station, Nordquist’s mother, Linda, recalled: “The last thing Sam said is, ‘I love you, and I’ll call you tomorrow.’ Tomorrow came, and I never heard a word.”

Linda Norquist said Sam “sounded sad, really sad”, during that conversation, which was on New Year’s Day.

“And Sam is an outgoing person,” Linda Norquist said. “He had a heart of gold and wouldn’t hurt anybody.”

All five suspects have been arraigned and remanded to the jail in Ontario county, which includes Canandaigua.

“We understand that the details of this case are deeply unsettling, and we want to assure the public that we are committed to seeking justice for Sam and his family,” Swift said.

She added: “In my 20-year law enforcement career this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated.”

An autopsy will be carried out by the medical examiner’s office in Monroe county, New York, to confirm Nordquist’s exact cause and manner of death, though authorities’ actions indicate he was the victim of a homicide.

The LGBTQ+ rights organization The New Pride Agenda said in a post on social media: “We are devastated and enraged by the horrific murder of Sam Nordquist … whose life was brutally taken in the Finger Lakes region after enduring weeks of torture.

The group based in New York added: “While arrests have been made, we know that this is not an isolated incident; it is a tragic consequence of the rising culture of hate in our society.”

Linda Norquist told KARE that Sam’s death was “devastating” to her family.

“Sam did not deserve this,” Linda Norquist said. Nobody deserves this type of torment that he had to endure.

“These people that did this to Sam are pure evil. They’re not even human. We will get justice for you, Sam. Even if it takes the last breath out of me – you will have justice.”