Sam Nordquist was a 24-year-old trans man from Minnesota. He was a kind, generous, and family-oriented individual always. Sam’s mother tells us that Sam was the type of individual who would “give you the shirt off his back.” Sam was a friendly, working individual, adored by his siblings, nieces, and nephew. Despite his mother’s advice, he traveled to New York in September to visit a girl. That was a journey he never returned from.
His family last heard from him on Jan. 1, when he phoned his mother, Linda Nordquist, for a short while. “I love you, I’ll call you tomorrow,” were the last words he said to her. This phone call never happened. Sam disappeared on February 9. The detectives discovered a gruesome reality a few days later—Sam had been brutally tortured and killed, his body left in a field after weeks of merciless cruelty.
Who Was Sam Nordquist With?
New York State Police have charged five individuals with second-degree murder in connection to Sam’s death. Authorities say Sam had been staying at Patty’s Lodge motel in Canandaigua, New York, where he was last seen before falling victim to unthinkable acts of violence. The accused—Precious Arzuaga, 38; Patrick Goodwin, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Jennifer Quijano, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19—allegedly subjected him to repeated beatings and torture, leading to his death.
Major Kevin Sucher, commander of the state police troop handling the case, described it as “beyond depraved” and the worst homicide investigation his office has ever seen. “No human being should have to endure what Sam endured,” he stated during a press conference.
New Developments in the Murder Case
Police now believe that the motive behind Sam’s murder was a fight over a girl. Police say that Sam and a suspect, Armaghan, had some heated words on New Year’s Eve, culminating in threats. Armaghan, according to police, called Sam on January 6 and beat him up. Marsha, the girl whose salacious feud caused all the trouble, left the country on January 12. Police are attempting to contact her through Interpol as her testimony is likely to seal or break the case.
Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court ordered a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to conduct an in-depth probe into the case. The investigation process itself has also come under question, with the authorities criticizing the court for not awarding police physical remand of the suspect.
A Bereaved Family Left Behind
For Linda, the pain is unbearable. She has three children, and now has to exist in a world without her son. “I’m devastated. My children have cried so much. We are a small but very close family,” she said. She believes her son was killed with hatred. “I don’t know, I don’t want to speculate, but it’s some type of hate crime,” she said.
Her grief is tinged with anger. “They can rot,” she said of the suspects. “They are scum, they are evil. I don’t know how somebody can be that evil.”
As the investigation continues, Sam’s murder has stunned the LGBTQ+ community. Activists are calling for justice, not just for Sam, but for all the transgender individuals who are brutalized for being themselves.
For now, Sam’s family is left to mourn a life cut short—while the world waits and looks on for justice to be served.