Captain Kelly Swift of the NYSP Bureau of Criminal Investigations at a press conference Friday, February 14.
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Authorities have arrested and charged five people over the death of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist, who was a transgender man from Minnesota. Local police in upstate New York said that Nordquist had been repeatedly tortured in the weeks before he was killed.
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Police haven't said if Nordquist was murdered for being transgender, according to local news station WHEC.
Nordquist's family reported him missing several weeks ago. WHEC reports that he had traveled to the Finger Lakes area in September. He was last seen in Canandaigua.
Captain Kelly Swift of the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations said Nordquist had been tortured since December.
“In my 20-year law enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated,” Swift said at a press conference on Friday.
“Our investigation has revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam’s tragic death,” Swift said. "Sam was subjected to repeated acts of violence and torture in a manner that ultimately led to his death."
She added: "His body was then transported in an attempt to conceal the crime."
Nordquist's mother said she hadn't been in touch with her son in some time.
"He would give you the shirt off his back,” Linda Nordquist told local station WROC. “Very kind, loved his family, loved his nieces and nephew, very outgoing, worked hard.”
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“The last time I talked to Sam was January 1, and Sam said, ‘I love you. I’ll call you tomorrow,’ and I have not talked to Sam since,” his mother said. “It’s heartbreaking. I’m devastated. I’ve cried so much.”
Authorities arrested five suspects after conducting a search of Patty’s Lodge Motel in Hopewell, Ontario County, on Thursday, WHEC reports. Precious Arzuaga, 38; Kyle Sage, 33; Jennifer Quijano, 30; Patrick Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19 were charged with second-degree murder.
Nordquist had been staying at Patty's Lodge. The motel rents its 22 rooms to those on housing assistance, according to The New York Times.
"We were shocked that people could do this kind of crime," the motel's manager Manny Patel told the paper.
Patel and a neighbor of Nordquist's said Nordquist and Arzuaga stayed in the same room.
“They can rot,” Linda Nordquist told WROC of the suspects arrested. “They are scum, they are evil, I don’t know how somebody can be that evil.”
Police didn't say where Nordquist had been held and abused. Authorities also did not reveal if Nordquist had previously known the other suspects.
The Monroe County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, according to authorities.
Nordquist's mother believes her son's trans identity may have played a role in his killing.
“I don’t know, I don’t want to speculate, but it’s some type of hate crime,” Linda Nordquist told WROC.
Rochester City Councilmembers Mary Lupien, Stanley Martin, and Kim Smith said in a joint statement, "At a time when hostility toward LGBTQIA+ people is rising — as Federal orders attempt to erase the word Trans from public record — we must hold firm in our commitment to fiercely defending and protecting our Trans neighbors. Our Trans and LGBTQIA+ residents are, and have always been, integral to the fabric of our communities. We reaffirm our commitment to protecting Trans rights, ensuring safety for all and wish to make clear that you belong — fully, openly, and without fear. The progress we have made was hard-won, and we will not allow it to be lost."
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wrote on social media, "This is deeply disturbing. Minnesota stands with our LGBTQ neighbors against this unthinkable crime."
A vigil in memory of Nordquist is scheduled for Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Wood Library on Main Street in Canandaigua.
Anyone with more information about Nordquist's killing is asked to call (585)-398-4100 or email crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.
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