Five people have been arrested and charged with murder in connection to the death of a missing 24-year-old transgender man, Sam Nordquist. New York authorities report that the man was brutally tortured for a month before his death. Nordquist was reported missing on February 9, 2025, after he lost contact with loved ones. Unfortunately, his body was found this past Thursday in a field in Upstate New York. Police say his body showed signs that he was “subjected to ongoing physical abuse” that most likely began in December.
Credit to: The New York Police Courtesy of CNN
Investigation and Arrests
Sam Nordquist was a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota. His family reported that he met a woman named Precious Arzuaga online this past July, and the two were supposedly in a relationship. The following September, he bought a round-trip plane ticket from Minnesota to New York. He was supposed to fly back home in October but never made it. The family reported him missing months later after they could not reach him, and it appeared his phone was turned off.
During the initial investigation, detectives uncovered evidence that showed continuous abuse and psychological torture. His remains were found discarded in a field 20 miles south of Canandaigua. Police were able to arrest searching the last known place Nordquist had been staying. When they searched Patty’s Lodge Motel in Canandaigua, they retrieved evidence, including electronic devices, clothing, and other personal items. Police say they intend to analyze all of it forensically.
The five people in question who were arrested and charged 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. They were all charged with second-degree murder and denied bail after their initial court appearance, where they were arraigned.
This is not two of the accused’s first run-ins with the law. Information was released about Patrick Goodwin and Kyle Sage, who were previously convicted sex offenders. Goodwin was sentenced to 10.5 years in 2015 for sexually abusing two children, ages 9 and 7. He was released early in 2023 and had been staying at the motel where Nordquist was tortured and murdered. Sage was sentenced in 2022 for grand larceny and distribution of pornography to a minor and was released in 2024.
Hate Crime Against a Transgender Man
The thought of Nordquist’s death being a hate crime looms over his family. Since he is a transgender man, it would not be surprising if his murder was caused by unnecessary hate. The police have not ruled out the possibility but stated the investigation is ongoing. We do not know the nature of the victim’s relationships with the assailants, and that is key to determining if this was a hate crime or not.
The FBI defines hate crime as a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity. In today’s climate, hate is being more widely spread, and those spreading it feel empowered to do so. To think that Sam Nordquist was targeted because he was a transgender man is genuinely despicable. However, regardless of the motive, the five people involved deserve to face the harshest punishment.
Final Thoughts
The state police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation Captain Kelly Swift made a statement, “Our investigation has revealed an alarming pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam’s tragic death.” She continued, “In my 20-year law enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated.” The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy of Nordquist’s remains to determine the cause of death and what kind of abuse he endured. If the five individuals charged with his murder are found guilty, they could all face life in prison. His family deserves that kind of justice, especially knowing what their son went through in his final moments.
