In Canandaigua, New York, a tragic case has unfolded involving seven individuals accused of the murder of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist. Prosecutors have disclosed that the victim suffered weeks of brutal torture, including acts of sexual assault, being forced to ingest feces, and being doused with bleach. These allegations surfaced as the suspects faced charges of first-degree murder following the discovery of Nordquist’s body last month, wrapped in plastic and abandoned in a field within the Finger Lakes area.
The suspects, who were initially detained for second-degree murder, are now confronting charges that also encompass kidnapping and child endangerment, along with other offenses detailed in an 11-count indictment. Nordquist, originally from Minnesota and identified as a Black transgender man, has been speculated to be unrelated to a hate crime, according to investigators. Some of the accused were part of the LGBTQ+ community and shared a residence with Nordquist.
Ontario County Assistant District Attorney, Kelly Wolford, stated during a press briefing that while Nordquist’s murder does not classify as a hate crime, the treatment he endured was akin to that of an animal. “The suffering that Sam went through—being beaten, sexually abused, starved, and held captive—defies understanding,” Wolford said. “We cannot attribute it to his gender or race. The lingering question of why remains unanswered, and perhaps it will never be known.”
The murder charge was elevated to first-degree due to the element of torture involved. One of the defendants, Precious Arzuaga, is also accused of compelling two minors, aged 7 and 12, to participate in the crimes as described in the indictment. The other six individuals charged with murder are Patrick Goodwin, Kyle Sage, Jennifer Quijano, Emily Motyka, Kimberly Sochia, and Thomas Eaves. No arraignment date has been scheduled yet.
Efforts to contact the legal representatives of six of the defendants on Wednesday were not immediately successful. Nordquist was reported missing on February 9 and had reportedly traveled to New York in September, subsequently losing touch with his family earlier this year.
Initial arrests took place following a police raid on a room at Patty’s Lodge motel in Canandaigua, the last known location where Nordquist had stayed. According to his mother, Linda Nordquist, Sam had ventured to New York from Minnesota in September to meet a woman he had developed a romantic relationship with online. Originally planning to return home in October, he chose to extend his stay in hopes of furthering the relationship.
