Seven Charged with First-Degree Murder in Torture Killing of Transgender Man Sam Nordquist

Prosecutors detail harrowing abuse and coercion of children in the month-long captivity and death of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist in New York.

Seven suspects, aged 19 to 38, have been indicted on charges including first-degree murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy in the torture and killing of Sam Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota.
Prosecutors allege Nordquist was held captive for over a month, enduring severe physical and psychological abuse, including being starved, sexually assaulted, and treated inhumanely before being killed.
One suspect, Precious Arzuaga, faces additional charges of coercing two children, ages 7 and 12, into participating in the abuse, which authorities described as deeply disturbing and life-altering for the children.
Authorities declined to pursue hate crime charges, stating that the case goes beyond hate crimes due to the extreme and sadistic nature of the acts committed against Nordquist.
Nordquist's remains were discovered in February 2025 in a field in New York, weeks after his family reported him missing; he had traveled to the state in late 2024 after meeting a woman online.