Overview

• Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota, was reported missing on February 9 and found dead after enduring over a month of torture.
• Five suspects—Precious Arzuaga, Patrick Goodwin, Kyle Sage, Jennifer Quijano, and Emily Motyka—were arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
• Investigators discovered Nordquist’s body in a field after searching a motel room in Canandaigua, New York, his last known location.
• Police are examining the relationships between Nordquist and the suspects, as well as among the suspects themselves, and have not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.
• Community leaders and council members have condemned the violence, reaffirming support for transgender and LGBTQIA+ rights and organizing a vigil to honor Nordquist's memory.