Precious Arzuaga, described by prosecutors as the ringleader in the torture and murder of transgender man Sam Nordquist, was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole in an Ontario County courtroom in New York. Her former girlfriend, Jennifer Quijano, received the same sentence for her role in the month-long abuse that ended with Nordquist’s death.
Arzuaga pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in July. During Tuesday’s hearing, she kept her head down and only looked up to blow a kiss to her mother as she was escorted from the courtroom. The sentencing prompted cheers from spectators, while one person shouted, “F–k you. You’re the devil,” according to the Times Union.
Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota, was staying with Arzuaga at the Patty’s Lodge motel in Canandaigua after arriving in New York in September 2024. Prosecutors said Arzuaga lured him to the area under the prospect of a romantic relationship, but instead subjected him to weeks of violence between Jan. 1 and Feb. 2, 2025.
Prosecutors said Arzuaga led a group of six other people, including Quijano and two children, one of them her son, in beating, torturing and sexually assaulting Nordquist inside the motel room. Authorities said he was punched and kicked and beaten with sticks, dog toys, ropes, canes and belts, as well as a table leg and broomstick.
Authorities determined that Nordquist died from repeated acts of violence and torture. His family reported him missing on Feb. 9 after losing contact with him. His body was discovered several days later in a field in Yates County, wrapped in plastic.
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Ontario County First Assistant District Attorney James Nobles described the case as “the worst of the worst,” saying the prolonged abuse was more horrific than something typically seen outside movies or television.
Nordquist’s mother, Linda, spoke before Arzuaga was sentenced, describing her son as someone with an exceptionally gentle nature who continued to see the good in others.
Prosecutors said they had not disclosed a definitive motive for Arzuaga’s actions, but presented text messages she sent before Nordquist’s death. One message stated: “Sam can never leave New York alive.” Attorneys characterized the abuse as “torture for torture sake.”
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Quijano’s participation, prosecutors said, was driven by jealousy because Arzuaga’s attention had shifted toward Nordquist. Assistant District Attorney Sara Van Strydonck said the motive was jealousy and that Quijano hated Nordquist because “Sam had Precious’s attention.”
Emily Motyka and Kyle Sage have also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping for their roles in Nordquist’s death and are awaiting sentencing. Three other defendants, including Patrick Goodwin and Thomas Eaves, are scheduled to go to trial in January.
