Sam Nordquist’s alleged killers accused of forcing children to torture him
Prosecutors on March 5 announced a disturbing 11-count indictment with new charges in the murder case of Sam Nordquist, a Black trans man who was allegedly tortured as he was killed in western New York last month. The seven individuals in the case were already charged with second-degree murder for their alleged role in Nordquist’s … Read More
Prosecutors on March 5 announced a disturbing 11-count indictment with new charges in the murder case of Sam Nordquist, a Black trans man who was allegedly tortured as he was killed in western New York last month.
The seven individuals in the case were already charged with second-degree murder for their alleged role in Nordquist’s death, but in the latest indictment, all of those individuals were hit with additional charges of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree conspiracy, and endangering the welfare of a child, according to prosecutors, who said the defendants allegedly used two children — ages 7 and 12 — to carry out the deadly crimes.
The new charges mark the latest development in the aftermath of Nordquist’s death in western New York, where he visited in September to “meet his online girlfriend,” according to a GoFundMe page set up by his family. Nordquist, who had traveled from Minnesota, stayed at Patty’s Lodge in Canandaigua with the defendants — Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick Goodwin, 30; Emily Motyka, 19; Thomas G. Eaves, 21; and Kimberly Sochia, 29. Nordquist's body was discovered on Feb. 13 in a field in nearby Yates County.
Arzuaga — who was allegedly the “online girlfriend” — was also charged with first-degree coercion for allegedly forcing the children to participate in torturing Nordquist. Prosecutors, at this point, are not revealing further details about the involvement of the children, but they are being treated as victims.
According to the indictment, Nordquist was beaten, sexually assaulted, and denied food from around Jan. 1 to Feb. 2, the New York Times reported.
During a March 5 press conference, Ontario County assistant district attorney Kelly Wolford said Nordquist was confined in a space and forced to kneel and stand against a wall as he endured deadly abuse.
"He was physically assaulted, he was sexually assaulted, he was prevented from using his phone, he was denied proper nutrition and hydration, he was fed feces, he was forced to drink urine and chew spit," Wolford said. "They physically restrained him, they forced him to obey their commands, treating him like a dog. They covered his face with towels and shirts and fabric, they used duct tape, and they poured bleach on him.”
A joint statement issued by New York State Police and Ontario County District Attorney James Ritts last month noted that Nordquist and the defendants "identified as LGBTQ+," which the authorities disclosed "to help alleviate the understandable concern his murder could be a hate crime.”
Despite that statement, a defendant’s apparent LGBTQ identity does not necessarily have anything to do with whether or not a hate crime was committed. When addressing the media on March 5, Wolford again discussed that topic, saying a hate crime “would make this charge about Sam’s gender and about Sam’s race, and it’s so much bigger.”
“To limit this to a hate crime would be an injustice to Sam,” Wolford said.
The individuals charged in the case, Wolford said, now face the possibility of life in prison without parole, and she noted that they would have been eligible to face the death penalty if the alleged crimes were committed before that penalty was abolished in 2004.
In the aftermath of Nordquist's death, his mother, Linda Nordquist, told WROC TV that he was kind to everyone in her family.
“He would give you the shirt off his back, very kind, loved his family, loved his nieces and nephew, very outgoing, worked hard,” Linda Nordquist said.
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