A Minnesota transgender man is being remembered across the country with vigils, days after his body was found in Yates County, New York.
Sam Nordquist, 24, of Red Wing, Minnesota, was found deceased a week after his family contacted police to issue a missing persons report. According to New York State Police (NYSP), Nordquist was “the victim of [a] criminal act, based on evidence collected and information obtained.”
In a press conference, Capt. Kelly Swift of the Bureau of Federal Investigation told reporters that an investigation into Nordquist’s disappearance led them to a hotel room at Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell, New York, where police discovered “a deeply disturbing pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam’s tragic death.”
Swift went on to share that evidence suggests Nordquist “endured prolonged physical and psychological abuse at the hands of multiple individuals” for weeks. The individuals, who have all been charged with second-degree murder, were named by NYSP as Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A. Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A. Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19.
After Nordquist succumbed to his injuries, NYSP reported that his body was moved to a field in Benton, New York, where he was later found.
Vigils in memory of Nordquist are scheduled for Monday, Feb. 17, including in Canandaigua, New York, and his hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota.