US transgender man tortured and murdered: police

WASHINGTON: A transgender man was murdered in the United States after suffering weeks of “repeated acts of violence and torture” at the hands of multiple people, US police said.

Human remains believed to be those of Sam Nordquist, 24, were discovered in a field near Canandaigua in New York state on February 13.

Five people have been arrested and charged with second-degree murder with depraved indifference, police said on Friday.

They were named as Precious Arzuaga, 38, Jennifer Quijano, 30, Kyle Sage, 33, Patrick Goodwin, 30, and Emily Motyka, 19. “Our investigation has revealed a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam’s tragic death,” police captain Kelly Swift said during a press conference on Friday.

“Based on evidence and witness statements, we have determined that Sam endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse at the hands of multiple individuals.”

“Our investigation has confirmed that from early December 2024 to February 2025 Sam was subjected to repeated acts of violence and torture in a manner that ultimately led to his death.”

A missing person investigation had been launched on February 9 by police after Nordquist’s family asked them to carry out a welfare check.

Evidence that Nordquist was subjected to ongoing physical abuse was discovered after police searched several locations, including Patty’s Lodge, a roadside motel where he was last known to be staying.

They believe his body was transported to the field where the remains were discovered in an attempt to “conceal the crime,” said Swift.

A fundraiser has been launched on GoFundMe to help his family which has so far received more than $44,000.

Nordquist, originally from Minnesota, had travelled to New York in September to meet his “online girlfriend,” according to the fundraising page.

It states that he had purchased a round-trip plane ticket and was supposed to return home by mid-October.

Nordquist’s family had not heard from him since January and the last time he was seen was in early February.

All five suspects have been arraigned and remanded to the Ontario County Jail.

“We understand that the details of this case are deeply unsettling and we want to assure the public that we are committed to seeking justice for Sam and his family,” Swift said.

“In my 20 year law enforcement career this is one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated,” she added.

An autopsy will be carried out by the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office to confirm the cause and manner of death.

LGBTQ rights organisation The New Pride Agenda said in a post on social media: “We are devastated and enraged by the horrific murder of Sam Nordquist, a Minnesotan whose life was brutally taken in the Finger Lakes region after enduring weeks of torture.”

“While arrests have been made, we know that this is not an isolated incident; it is a tragic consequence of the rising culture of hate in our society,” the group based in New York state said.