Minnesota trans man’s torture death not a hate crime: Police

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Emma Stoltzfus (Producer/Video Editor)

New York State Police said Sunday, Feb. 16, the murder of a transgender man from Minnesota was not a hate crime. The department said fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community killed Sam Nordquist, 24.
Police said five suspects tortured Nordquist for more than a month before his death. The department charged the suspects with second-degree murder.
Investigators discovered Nordquist’s body in a field after his family called police to do a welfare check when they hadn’t heard from him.

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New York State Police said the torture death of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota, was not a hate crime. The department said fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community killed Nordquist.

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What happened to Sam Nordquist?

Investigators discovered Nordquist’s body on Wednesday, Feb. 12, in a field in the Finger Lakes region. His family requested the police complete a welfare check when they hadn’t heard from him.

The 24-year-old was staying at a motel in Hopewell, New York, after traveling from his Minnesota home in September 2024 to visit his girlfriend he had met online.

New York State Police said the torture started in early December.

Court documents said Nordquist was “punched, kicked, beaten with sticks, dog toys, rope canes and belts – and assaulted with a table leg and broomstick leading up to [his] death.”

“The facts and the circumstances of this crime are beyond depraved,” Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts said. “This is by far the worst homicide investigation that our office has ever been a part of. It is an ongoing investigation, so we would necessarily be limited in the things that we can talk about.”

No human being should have to endure what Sam endured.
Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts

Who are the suspects?

The department charged five people with second-degree murder in connection with Nordquist’s death, and police said they are also members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Suspects include:

Precious Arzuaga, 38
Emily Motyka, 19
Jennifer A. Quijano, 30
Kyle Sage, 33
Patrick A. Goodwin, 30

Nordquist’s mother told KARE 11 news in Minnesota that her son went to New York to visit Arzuaga, his online girlfriend.

Police have not confirmed Nordquist’s relationship with the five suspects.

Tags: Arrest, Crime, Death, Hate Crime, LGBTQ, Minnesota, Murder, New York, Police, Transgender

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

POLICE IN NEW YORK STATE SAY THE TORTURE DEATH OF A TRANS MAN WAS NOT A HATE CRIME.

THE BODY OF 24-YEAR-OLD SAM NORDQUIST WAS FOUND IN A FIELD IN THE FINGER LAKES REGION LAST WEDNESDAY… AFTER NORDQUIST’S FAMILY REPORTED HIM MISSING AND ASKED FOR A WELFARE CHECK.

NORDQUIST WAS STAYING AT A MOTEL IN HOPEWELL, NEW YORK AFTER TRAVELING THERE FROM HIS MINNESOTA HOME IN SEPTEMBER TO VISIT HIS GIRLFRIEND HE MET ONLINE.

NEW YORK STATE POLICE SAY THE TORTURE STARTED IN EARLY DECEMBER – AND THE NEW YORK POST REPORTS COURT DOCUMENTS SAY NORDQUIST WAS “PUNCHED, KICKED, BEATEN WITH STICKS, DOG TOYS, ROPE CANES AND BELTS – AND ASSAULTED WITH A TABLE LEG AND BROOMSTICK LEADING UP TO HIS DEATH.”

JIM RITTS, ONTARIO COUNTY, NY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

“The facts and the circumstances of this crime are beyond depraved. This is by far the worst homicide investigation that our office has ever been a part of. It is an ongoing investigation, so we would necessarily be limited in the things that we can talk about.”

“No human being should have to endure what Sam endured.”

FIVE PEOPLE ARE CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER IN CONNECTION WITH NORDQUIST’S DEATH AND POLICE SAY THEY ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE L-G-B-T-Q-PLUS COMMUNITY.

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