A trans man named Sam Nordquist was reported missing by his family earlier this month after he had traveled to upstate New York to visit a girlfriend. Police found Nordquist's body three days later in a field but traced his location back to a motel about 15 miles away. Five people have now been arrested for his murder, which police say was preceded by repeated beatings and torture that lasted for at least a month.
New York State Police charged five people Friday with murder in the killing of a missing man who authorities said died following repeated acts of violence and torture for more than a month by multiple individuals who later discarded his body in a field...
Major Kevin Sucher, commander of the state police troop that includes the Finger Lakes region, said the facts and circumstances of the case were “beyond depraved” and “by far the worst” homicide investigation the office has ever been part of...
Those arrested include Precious Arzuaga, 38, and Patrick Goodwin, 30, of Canandaigua, New York; Kyle Sage, 33, of Rochester, New York; Jennifer Quijano, 30, of Geneva, New York; and Emily Motyka, 19, of Lima, New York. All five were charged with second-degree murder after police on Thursday searched a room at the Patty’s Lodge motel in Canandaigua, the last place Nordquist was known to be staying.
The details of the abuse are apparently included in the charging document and are said to be pretty horrific. Because Nordquist was trans, questions were immediately raised about the motive for this gruesome murder. Initially police declined to say whether or not this was a hate crime.
Captain Kelly Swift of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation said Nordquist was abused at various times over the past two months by three women and two men...
“In my 20-year law enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated.”
Swift said she could not rule out the possibility Nordquist’s death was a hate crime.
Under the circumstances, it's not surprising that a lot of people jumped to the conclusion that this was a hate crime and some even attempted to blame the crime on right-wing rhetoric about trans people.
There is no doubt in my mind that the constant hateful and bigoted rhetoric of high-level politicians and religious leaders played a role in this torture and murder of Sam Nordquist.
— ᒪᗩᑎᑕᗴ 🏳️🌈 He/Him (@LanceUSA70) February 16, 2025
“This is, by far, the worst homicide investigation that our office has ever been a part of.” pic.twitter.com/WGkB1HYQMU
Where is your outrage ??
— JWC 🚴♀️🥘🔭🎣🥥🌴🪷🪷 (@sctideprince) February 18, 2025
Your relentless persecution of the trans community has led to the torture and murder of Sam Nordquist.
Your hands are covered in his blood .
You are a complete POS https://t.co/pnEQCRUqcw… https://t.co/A3SkTaZkH7
This completely horrifying act of violence has no place in New York or anywhere else. This is where hateful anti-trans rhetoric inevitably leads.
— Senator Andrew Gounardes (@Sen_Gounardes) February 17, 2025
My heart is with Sam's loved ones, and I hope authorities work diligently to ensure justice is served.https://t.co/dzfxuYx3o4 pic.twitter.com/nE7y50k3Gn
And of course someone blamed JK Rowling:
Content warning. Torture, abuse and murder.
— Sophie Molly 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@SophieMolly_OFF) February 15, 2025
Is this what you want @jk_rowling ?
This is what you're encouraging.https://t.co/bBOAUhiI96
There are lots more tweets like this on X from accounts with a small number of followers. Sunday night, Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement about the case saying whether or not this was a hate crime was still under investigation but that a state "Bias Preventioin Unit" was offering assistance.
“I have directed State Police to provide any and all support and resources to the District Attorney as they continue their investigation, including into whether this was a hate crime. Additionally, the New York State Office of Victim Services at my direction has contacted local officials to connect the victim’s family with services and support. I have also directed the New York State Division of Human Rights Hate and Bias Prevention Unit to offer assistance and support to all community members affected by this terrible act of violence. There must be justice for Sam Nordquist.”
Monday, authorities revealed that they have found no evidence suggesting this was a hate crime. In fact, some or all of the perpetrators are themselves LGBT.
Law enforcement officials said on Sunday that some or all of the five people charged with murder in connection with the killing were themselves members of L.G.B.T.Q. communities.
The man, Sam Nordquist, 24, knew the people suspected in his killing, and at least one had lived with him in a motel, according to a statement released by the New York State Police and James Ritts, the Ontario County district attorney.
“We urge the community not to speculate into the motive behind the murder as we work to find justice for Sam,” the statement said. “At this time, we have no indication that Sam’s murder was a hate crime.”
So what did happen here? Sam Nordquist went to New York after striking up an online relationship with Precious Arzuaga. He was staying in the motel with her. She has a history of crimes including cruelty to animals.
In 2016, the Democrat and Chronicle reported that a Geneva woman, Precious Arzuaga, was charged with animal cruelty for starving her Pitbull named Princess. She was accused of locking Princess in a storage shed in Geneva with no food. Investigators said at the time the shed was filled with urine and feces...
Nordquist’s family tells News10NBC Arzuaga, 38, began an online relationship with Nordquist last fall — and lured him out to visit her in September.
Sam's sister believes it was a scam:
Kayla Nordquist, Sam’s older sister, expressed her concerns from the start.
“I had a bad feeling from the start it wasn’t going to end well,” she said. “He thought he was in love with this woman and he thought that this woman loved him back.”
Also living at the same motel and now charged with Sam's murder was Patrick Goodwin, a Level 3 sex offender.
Patrick Allen Goodwin, 30, of Canandaigua, is one of five individuals arrested in connection to Nordquist’s murder. Court records show that Goodwin has a prior conviction for first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree sexual abuse involving two young children, ages 7 and 9, dating back to 2014.
Goodwin was convicted in May 2015 and sentenced to 126 months in state prison. According to the New York State Sex Offender Registry, he is classified as a Level 3 offender, the highest risk level, reserved for those considered to have a high likelihood of reoffending. His offenses involved multiple instances of sexual contact with children under 11 years old, with no weapon used but with significant harm caused to his victims.
At the time of his arrest in connection to Nordquist’s murder, Goodwin was listed as living at Patty’s Lodge, Room 16, in Canandaigua—the same motel where police executed a search warrant related to Nordquist’s disappearance. Evidence uncovered in Room 22 at the lodge confirmed suspicions of prolonged physical and psychological abuse inflicted on Nordquist from December 2024 to February 2025.
Another person charged in the case, Kyle Sage, also had a record:
Sage was sentenced to two to four years in state prison in 2022 for 4th degree grand larceny and 1st degree dissemination of indecent material to a minor. He got out in 2024.
The investigation isn't complete but so far it sounds like Sam Nordquist was lured to the motel and fell in with very bad group of people. Of course the police could change their minds but as of now it sounds like trans identity was not the reason Sam was tortured and murdered. And that means this was not Trump's fault or JK Rowling's fault or Nancy Mace's fault.
Hopefully the depraved individuals who are responsible will get the maximum sentences the law allows. New York does not have the death penalty (since 2004) so that's not an option here. But the people who participated in this should probably spend life in prison for this depraved murder.
