No evidence of hate crime in killing of US transgender man, authorities say | New York

Authorities investigating the alleged torture and murder of Sam Nordquist in upstate New York say they have found no evidence the transgender man’s killing was a hate crime, pointing out that five people recently charged in connection with the slaying also identified as LGBTQ+.

“We urge the community not to speculate into the motive behind the murder as we work to find justice for Sam,” authorities said over the weekend in a joint press release from the Ontario county district attorney’s office and New York state police. “At this time, we have no indication that Sam’s murder was a hate crime.”

The statement added: “To help alleviate the understandable concern his murder could be a hate crime, we are disclosing that Sam and his assailants were known to each other, identified as LGBTQ+, and at least one of the defendants lived with Sam in the time period leading up to the instant offense.”

All five suspects – Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19 – have been arrested, arraigned and were ordered held without bail in Ontario county’s jail on charges of second-degree murder.

A felony complaint obtained by 13WHAM provides gut-wrenching details of Nordquist’s brutal killing. Authorities say he was tortured and sexually assaulted using a table leg and broomsticks.

He was also reportedly subjected to repeated, prolonged beatings which included being punched, kicked and struck with various objects such as sticks, belts, ropes, dog toys and canes, ultimately leading to his death.

Nordquist’s family reported him missing on 9 February, authorities said. Within days, investigators from the state police alerted the Ontario district attorney’s office that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance “appeared suspicious”.

On 12 February, police discovered Nordquist’s remains in a field in Yates county.

Authorities determined that Nordquist was killed in Ontario county and that his accused killers disposed his body after transporting it to Yates county in an effort to conceal the alleged murder.

“No human being should have to endure what Sam endured,” authorities said during a televised news conference. One police captain mentioned that in her 20-year law enforcement career, this crime was “one of the most horrific” she had ever investigated.

Nordquist, who was originally from Oakdale, Minnesota, had reportedly traveled to New York in September to meet his “online girlfriend”, as detailed on a GoFundMe page created by his sister, Kayla. He had bought a round-trip plane ticket, it adds, and was supposed to return home by mid-October.

Nordquist’s family said that they had not heard from him since 1 January – and the last confirmed sighting of him was in early February.

As of Tuesday, the GoFundMe campaign set up to help the family with expenses – including a flight to New York to retrieve his body and bring it back to Minnesota – had received more than $100,000 in donations.

On Sunday, the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, said that she had directed the state police to provide “any and all support and resource” to the district attorney as they continue the investigation into Nordquist’s alleged murder.

“The charges against these indviduals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act,” she said.