The mother of a transgender man who was tortured and killed in New York claims he might still be alive if local police had "done their jobs." Canandaigua Police say none of its officers spoke with family members in the lead up to Sam Nordquist's death. But Nordquist's mother, Linda Nordquist, says the family requested two wellness checks in Canandaigua, where Sam Nordquist was reportedly staying in a motel with some of his suspected killers. She says he visited local social services, claiming he wanted to come home to Minnesota but that a romantic partner was controlling his cell phone, per NBC News.
Sam Nordquist had traveled from Minnesota to visit Precious Arzuaga in Canandaigua in September, his mom tells NBC. Linda Nordquist says she requested an initial wellness check in October after her son failed to return home as scheduled and stopped responding to calls and texts. She says her son and Arzuaga later called her, claiming all was well. But on Dec. 4, Linda Nordquist says she was informed Sam Nordquist had visited Ontario County social services, claiming he was in danger. He failed to return for a follow-up appointment on Dec. 19, Linda says. The next time Linda Nordquist spoke to her son, Sam Nordquist claimed he was "fine," but she suspects Arzuaga was listening in.
After more than a week without contact, Linda Nordquist says she requested another wellness check on Feb. 9, at which point Arzuaga told police that Sam Nordquist had left weeks earlier. Linda Nordquist says she ultimately filed a national missing person's report with police in Oakdale, Minnesota, after New York State Police declined to file a report. A trooper "said I need to stop watching so much TV, something about it not being a true crime episode," Linda Nordquist's daughter, Kayla Nordquist, tells NBC. However, a state police rep denies the allegation and says officers instead "took appropriate investigative steps" before Sam Nordquist's body was discovered Feb. 12 in a field in Yates County, which neighbors Ontario County.
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New York State Police Capt. Kelly Swift said Sam Nordquist had been subjected to "physical and psychological abuse at the hands of multiple individuals" between December and February, per MSNBC. She described the murder as "one of the most horrific crimes I have ever investigated." On Sunday, New York State Police and the Ontario County district attorney said there was no evidence of a hate crime. Arzuaga and the four others charged with second-degree murder in the case are also members of LGBTQ communities, they said, per the New York Times. (More murder stories.)
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