New York prosecutors announced this week that the seven suspects arrested in connection with the death of Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man who was allegedly subjected to over a month of abuse, have been named and charged in an 11-count indictment.
As previously reported, Nordquist’s remains were discovered in a field last month, and five people were initially arrested and charged with second-degree murder with depraved indifference: Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A. Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A. Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19.
After New York State Police announced the initial arrests on February 14, 29-year-old Kimberly L. Sochia and 21-year-old Thomas G. Eaves were arrested days later.
Prosecutors are now detailing the charges against the seven suspects, as well as the “disturbing” crimes they are accused of committing.
During a news conference on Wednesday, March 5, Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Wolford stated that Nordquist, 24, was allegedly held captive in Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell, New York, while being physically and sexually assaulted, denied “proper nutrition and hydration,” “fed feces,” forced to “drink urine,” forced to obey “commands” and treated “like a dog.” Wolford also stated that Nordquist’s alleged torture included suspects pouring bleach on him and covering his face with fabric and duct tape.
“This is a situation in which you now see some of what Sam had to go through while in captivity. “It is just a portion,” Wolford explained. “It is only what we know now. And we expect there to be a lot more as the investigation and prosecution continue.”
Each defendant is charged with first-degree murder, Wolford revealed during the news conference, which was broadcast in full by CBS affiliate WROC, calling it “New York’s most significant charge” that carries a life sentence without parole.
Among the additional charges, the indictment charges each suspect with endangering the welfare of a child, with Arzuaga facing two counts of first-degree coercion for allegedly forcing two children, ages seven and twelve, to participate in the Nordquist’s alleged torture. According to the assistant D.A., the children’s lives have been “forever changed by what they saw and endured” since they were “forced to participate.”
“Obviously, they are all charged with endangering the welfare of a child and that coercion charge is disturbing,” she told me. “To have two children participate in the beating of another human being is extremely disturbing. And it has been one of the most troubling aspects of this investigation, in my opinion and that of everyone else involved. It is heartbreaking.
According to the assistant D.A., Nordquist was “dumped out on the side of the road in a farmer’s field, wrapped in plastic bags,” following the alleged torture.
The Office of the Ontario County Conflict Defender, which NBC News reported represents the seven suspects, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Thursday, March 6.
During Wednesday’s news conference, the assistant district attorney reiterated that authorities charged “the highest count that is available under New York State law” when asked why suspects were not charged with hate crimes, describing the case as “bigger than a hate crime.”
“Limiting us to a hate crime would be an injustice to Sam.” “Sam deserves to hear the entire story,” she said. “Sam was beaten, assaulted, sexually abused, starved, held captive and we cannot make sense of that.”
Nordquist was from Minnesota. His family previously told the Democrat & Chronicle that he purchased a round-trip plane ticket to Canandaigua to meet a woman in September but did not return on the scheduled date in October. Police initially stated that he was in contact with his family at the end of January, as previously stated.
According to the New York State Police, he was “subjected to ongoing physical abuse between December 2024 and February 2025,” which was discovered through “extensive investigative efforts.”
Captain Kelly Swift of the New York State Police Troop E’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation stated in February that the case was one of the “most horrific crimes” she had ever investigated in her 20-year career in law enforcement.
