Five people have been arrested and charged in New York in connection with the disappearance and death of a 24-year-old Minnesota transgender man who was reported missing earlier this week, officials said.
New York State Police reported that it launched a missing persons investigation for Sam Nordquist, 24, on Sunday after receiving a welfare check request from his family.
On Thursday, investigators discovered human remains, believed to be those of Nordquist, in a field in Yates County, New York. Yates County is about 50 miles south of Rochester.
The case is being investigated as a homicide, Lynnea Crane, spokesperson for the New York State Police, said at a Friday news conference. She added that evidence points to the fact that Nordquist was the “victim of a criminal act.”
Capt. Kelly Swift with the New York State Police said at the news conference that they have not ruled out the possibility of this case being a hate crime.
“Our investigation has revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam’s tragic death,” Swift said, noting Nordquist faced both “prolonged physical and psychological abuse at the hands of multiple individuals.”
She called it “one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated” in her 20-year law enforcement career.
Police could not share details about the specific abuse Nordquist faced, citing the ongoing investigation.
Officials said they discovered that Nordquist had been staying at Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell, New York, with one of the five suspects. Evidence uncovered during the investigation suggests that Nordquist “was subjected to ongoing physical abuse” between December 2024 and February 2025, police said.
Police identified the five suspects — all from New York — as Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A. Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A. Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19. All were charged with second degree murder with depraved indifference, according to the state police release.
All five suspects were arraigned and remanded to the Ontario County Jail on Friday.
James Ritts, District Attorney for Ontario County, said at the Friday news conference that the suspects are being held without bail. He noted that a date for a preliminary hearing has been set and that he expects “grand jury action very quickly.”
It was not immediately clear if any of the suspects had legal representation. Crane, the spokesperson with the New York State Police, told NBC News she was unaware of the suspects’ legal representatives. The Ontario County District Attorney’s office did not immediately answer a request for that information on Saturday evening.
Police said they are still investigating the relationship between Nordquist and the suspects.
“Sam was subjected to repeated acts of violence and torture in a manner that ultimately led to his death,” Swift said at the news conference. “His body was then transported in an attempt to conceal the crime.”
According to the release from state police, Nordquist’s body was “transported to Yates County, where the remains were disposed of.”
The Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine cause and manner of death, police said.
According to the missing persons report, Nordquist had last been in touch with family at the end of January, and had traveled to New York from Minnesota in September of 2024.
Nordquist was last seen in early February. Investigators executed multiple search warrants at Patty’s Lodge, according to police.
The investigation is active and ongoing, police said.
“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,” Ritts said Friday. “No human being should have to endure what Sam endured.”
A number of Rochester city council members expressed their support and condolences for Nordquist’s family in a news release shared to social media.
“Our Trans and LGBTQIA+ residents are, and have always been, integral to the fabric of our communities,” council members Mary Lupien, Stanley Martin and Kim Smith said. “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.”
