Two women sentenced to life in prison for torture, death of Minnesota native Sam Nordquist
Jennifer Quijano and Precious Arzuaga must also register as sex offenders after convictions in a case prosecutors say involved more than a month of torture.
- On Tuesday, Ontario County Judge Kristina Karle sentenced Precious Arzuaga and Jennifer Quijano to life in prison without parole for the 2025 torture and murder of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota.
- Nordquist traveled to New York in September 2024 to visit Arzuaga, whom he met online, but was held captive for weeks at a motel in Hopewell before being killed in early 2025.
- Prosecutors described Arzuaga as the "ringleader" orchestrating the abuse, while Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Sara Van Strydonck called Quijano "the muscle," citing evidence defendants beat Nordquist with household objects and confined him in a cage.
- Ontario County Judge Kristina Karle told Arzuaga, "Sam came here looking for love, and sadly and tragically he found you," while Nordquist's family delivered impact statements describing their profound loss.
- While Kyle Sage and Emily Motyka have pleaded guilty and await sentencing, Patrick Goodwin, Kimberly Sochia, and Thomas Eaves remain in custody facing trial in January 2027.
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Two women sentenced to life without parole for killing trans man Sam Nordquist
Two women who pleaded guilty to kidnapping, torturing and killing Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man, have been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Precious Arzuaga was sentenced Tuesday (8 September) in an Ontario County, New York, courtroom after pleading guilty in June to first-degree murder, kidnapping and torture, among other […] The post Two women sentenced to life without parole for killing trans man S…
‘Devil’ ringleader who tortured, killed transgender man Sam Nordquist held captive in NY motel sentenced to life in prison
Precious Arzuaga and Jennifer Quijano were sentenced to life without parole for the torture and murder of Sam Nordquist in upstate New York.
Two Women Are Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Torture and Death of Trans Men in the United States
Two women were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Tuesday for the torture and death of Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man held in captivity for weeks in a motel in the state of New York. Precious Arzuaga, 40, and Jennifer Quijano, 32, had already pleaded guilty to all charges brought against them, including murder, kidnapping, conspiracy and concealment of corpse. Want to live outside? See interactive guide gatherin…
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