Transgender man from MN killed in NY: No indication murder was hate crime, troopers say
Missing MN man dead in NY after months of torture
New York authorities arrested five people after a missing Minnesota man was found dead in a field. Investigators say the victim was tortured for months before he was killed. FOX 9's Leon Purvis has the full story.
CANANDAIGUA, NY (FOX 9) - The murder of a missing transgender man from Minnesota, who officials say was tortured, killed and had his body dumped in a field in upstate New York, doesn't appear to be a hate crime, authorities said Sunday.
Death of Sam Nordquist
The backstory:
Sam Nordquist traveled to New York from Minnesota in September 2024. According to a GoFundMe, Nordquist was set to meet his online girlfriend in Rochester, New York. Rochester is located along Lake Ontario, about an hour east of Buffalo.
He was supposed to return home in October but never made his flight. The last time his family heard from him was on New Year's Day.
His body was found in a field on Feb. 13 in Yates County, a rural county about 30 miles southeast of Rochester.
Investigators said Norquist had been staying at a motel called Patty's Lodge, which is located just north of Yates County in Canandaigua, New York.
Five arrested in Nordquist's killing
What we know:
After the body was discovered, authorities brought charges against five people linked to Nordquist's killing:
- Precious N. Arzuaga, 38, of Canandaigua, New York
- Emily Jean Motyka, 19, of Lima, New York
- Jennifer A. Quijano, 30, of Geneva, New York
- Kyle R. Sage, 33, of Rochester, New York
- Patrick A. Goodwin, 30, Canandaigua, New York
All five suspects are facing charges of second-degree murder.
Dig deeper:
Investigators said he had been tortured for weeks with a table, broomsticks, and more until he died.
"In my 20-year law enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated," said Kelly Swift, New York State Police Troop E’s captain of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
"We have determined that Sam endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse at the hands of multiple individuals," said Swift.
Was it a hate crime?
What they're saying:
In a news release on Sunday, authorities said that while the investigation is still in its early stages, authorities do not believe bigotry was behind the murder.
In a joint statement, New York State Police and Ontario County District Attorney James Ritts said there is no indication that Norquist's murder was a hate crime.
"We urge the community not to speculate into the motive behind the murder as we work to find justice for Sam," the statement reads. "To help alleviate the understandable concern his murder could be a hate crime, we are disclosing that Sam and his assailants were known to each other, identified as LGBTQ+, and at least one of the defendants lived with Sam in the time period leading up to the instant offense."