News of the killing of Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man, shocked the country over the holiday weekend, with prosecutors in upstate New York calling the case “by far the worst homicide investigation that our office has ever been part of.”
Police say Nordquist traveled from Minnesota to New York in September; his family lost contact with him in early January and requested a welfare check on February 9. His remains were found four days later in a field in Canandaigua, New York. On February 14, New York State police charged five suspects with second-degree murder, saying that they tortured Nordquist physically and psychologically for more than a month, including sexually assaulting him. Authorities say he died as a result of the abuse and the suspects discarded his body.
The murder comes at a time when the transgender community is facing relentless attacks from the Trump administration and conservative lawmakers at the state level. Investigators say they found no evidence that the killing was a hate crime, however, adding that some of the suspects identify as LGBTQ+.
“In my 20-year law-enforcement career, this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated,” Captain Kelly Swift said at a news conference announcing the charges. Authorities identified the suspects as Kyle Sage, Patrick Goodwin, Emily Motyka, Jennifer Quijano, and Precious Arzuago.
Linda Nordquist told Syracuse.com that her son left Minnesota to meet a woman he had connected with in July and with whom he had a romantic relationship. “That’s all Sam ever wanted, was to be loved and to be in a relationship,” she said.
Vigils for Nordquist were held throughout the weekend. Friends and family described him as a warm and fun young man who worked at a home for vulnerable adults. He was a fan of Puma sweatsuits, cooking, and TikTok. “He would give you the shirt off his back,” his mother told WROC. “Very kind, loved his family, loved his nieces and nephew, very outgoing, worked hard.”
The transgender community is particularly vulnerable to experiencing violence. In 2022, 4 percent of all hate crimes recorded by the FBI were committed against transgender and gender-nonconforming Americans — a trend that has continued to increase. “The charges against these individuals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act,” New York governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “We are praying for Sam Nordquist’s family, community and loved ones who are experiencing unimaginable grief.”
His sister, Kayla Nordquist, organized a GoFundMe to cover the family’s travel to New York to retrieve his remains and other costs. “I still can’t comprehend the cruelty that we have in this world that we live in,” Rose Ryan, a family friend, told MPR News. “It breaks my heart that people can be so evil. I just want justice for him.”