Two women sentenced to life for Sam Nordquist's murder
Two women sentenced to life without parole for torturing and murdering Sam Nordquist in New York.
Event / Security
Sam Nordquist Murder Sentencing
Two women, Precious Arzuaga and Jennifer Quijano, were sentenced to life in prison without parole for the torture and murder of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota. Nordquist was lured to New York after meeting Arzuaga on TikTok and was killed between January and February 2025 at a motel in Hopewell, New York. His remains were discovered in February 2025. Arzuaga pleaded guilty to all charges as ringleader, while Quijano pleaded guilty and was characterized as 'the muscle' in the crime. Four other defendants await sentencing or trial.
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2026-09-10 to 2026-11-06 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 10 Sept, 03:00 UTC
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What happened
Sam Nordquist met Precious Arzuaga online before traveling to New York
Sam Nordquist met Precious Arzuaga on TikTok in the summer of 2024. Nordquist, from Minnesota, flew to the Canandaigua area of New York on September 28, 2024, with a round-trip plane ticket after Arzuaga convinced him to visit her. His family believed the visit was supposed to be a two-week vacation.
Four other defendants pleaded guilty or await trial
Kyle Sage and Emily Motyka pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping. Sage's sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2026, and Motyka's sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. Thomas Eaves, Kimberly Sochia, and Patrick Goodwin pleaded not guilty and their trials are scheduled to start in January 2027.
Sam Nordquist's family filed missing persons report
Sam Nordquist's family filed a missing persons report with the New York State Police on February 9, 2025, after last hearing from Nordquist on January 1, 2025. The family claimed Nordquist was planning to fly back to Minnesota within two weeks but never boarded his return flight.
Sam Nordquist tortured and killed by two women and others
Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota, was tortured and killed between January 1 and February 1, 2025, at Patty's Lodge in Hopewell, New York. Multiple defendants participated in the torture, which included beatings, sexual assaults, mental torture, and confinement in a dog cage. His remains were discovered on February 12, 2025, in a field in Benton, New York, in Yates County.
Jennifer Quijano sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder
Jennifer Quijano, 32, received life in prison without parole for first-degree murder, 25 years to life for kidnapping, eight and 1/3 to 25 years for conspiracy in the second degree, 25 years for aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree, one to four years for concealment of a human corpse, and 364 days for endangering the welfare of a child. She pleaded guilty to all counts.
Arzuaga coerced her own children to participate in torture
Prosecutors stated that Precious Arzuaga and Jennifer Quijano coerced Arzuaga's two children, who were aged 7 and 12 at the time, into participating in the beating and torture of Sam Nordquist.
Precious Arzuaga sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder
Precious Arzuaga, 40, was sentenced to life in prison without parole by Judge Kristina Karle on all 11 counts to which she pleaded guilty, including first-degree murder, kidnapping, aggravated sexual abuse, concealment of a human corpse, conspiracy, coercion, and endangering the welfare of a child. Prosecutors identified her as the ringleader in the case.
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