A transgender man was physically tortured for more than a month in an upstate New York motel until he died, with his alleged attackers ditching his corpse in an empty field in an attempt to cover up the “depraved” crime, authorities said.
Five people were hit with murder charges in the death of Sam Nordquist, who was allegedly punched, kicked, beaten with sticks, dog toys, ropes canes and belts — and assaulted with a table leg and broomstick for weeks before his death, according to court documents. .
Nordquist, 24, suffered “physical and psychological abuse” as well as “repeated acts of torture and violence” that ultimately led to his death, New York State Police Captain Kelly Swift said at a news conference.
“In my 20-year law enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated,” Swift said.
Originally from Minnesota, Nordquist traveled to New York in September and had been staying at Patty’s Lodge motel with Precious Arzuaga in Canandaigua, roughly 30 minutes outside of Rochester, according to police.
Nordquist’s family asked cops to check on him after they lost touch with him last month and turned to GoFundMe to raise money so they could travel to New York to look for him.
He had made the trip to meet his online girlfriend and had a round trip ticket, his sister Kayla wrote on the fundraiser.
Authorities launched a missing persons investigation on Feb. 9, and on Thursday, cops discovered a “deeply disturbing pattern of abuse” at the motel, Swift said.
In addition to Arzuaga, 38, of Geneva, NY, police arrested Jennifer A. Quijano, 30, also of Geneva; Kyle Sage, 33, of Hopewell, NY; and Patrick A. Goodwin and Emily Motyka, 19, both of Rochester, NY. All were hit with second-degree murder charges in connection to Nordquist’s death.
All five were arraigned and being held without bail at Ontario County Jail, according to District Attorney Jim Ritts, who described Nordquist’s killing as “beyond depraved.”
Swift said at the news conference that authorities hadn’t ruled out the possibility that Nordquist’s death was a hate crime, but added that the investigation is ongoing.
“This is by far the worst homicide investigation that our office has ever been a part of,” Ritts said, adding, “No human being should have to endure what Sam endured.”
