Police were called 8 times to the hotel where Sam Nordquist was held captive and killed, records show
Deputies from the Ontario County Sheriff's Office went to Patty's Lodge in Canandaigua, New York, in January to perform two welfare checks at the hotel, respond to three instances of 'family trouble,' address a 'neighbor dispute,' complete a probation check and issue a warrant for an unnamed individual's arrest, according to the call records.
It's not clear if the authorities were ever directed to Room 22, where they say Nordquist, 24, was held captive from Jan. 1 to Feb. 2. There, he was beaten, sexually assaulted and starved by seven people before he died from his injuries, prosecutors said last week.
The call records do not indicate which rooms authorities visited, and it's unclear whether anyone heard anything. But anyone on the property would be within several dozen feet of Room 22; the hotel is on a small lot of land with about two dozen rooms grouped by four one-story buildings.
The Ontario County Sheriff's Office declined to comment and referred NBC News to its public records office. Patty's Lodge could not immediately be reached for comment.
In recent weeks, the gruesome killing of the 24-year-old transgender Black man has garnered national attention and prompted outrage from LGBTQ advocates across the country.
Prosecutors have said there appears to be no indication that witnesses heard any of the abuse in Room 22, though it went on for weeks and involved multiple people. No one reported any suspicious activity at the hotel, officials said. The Ontario County District Attorney's Office did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the call logs.
Nordquist's family, who live in Oakdale, Minnesota, requested a wellness check to Room 22 while Nordquist was still alive in October. New York State Police Troop E confirmed that they completed the wellness check, adding that 'Sam told the Trooper he was fine and did not need any medical or law enforcement help.'
The family again requested a welfare check to Patty's Lodge on Feb. 9 and reported him missing to their local Oakdale police on Feb. 10, the family said. His body was found three days later in a field not far from Patty's Lodge, wrapped in plastic bags, prosecutors said last week.
Prosecutors detailed last week that seven people — including Nordquist's girlfriend — are accused of kicking, punching, starving and sexually assaulting him, and forcing him to consume feces, urine and tobacco juice. Two young children were also coerced to join in, according to the indictment.
The seven were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and face life in prison without parole if convicted. On Tuesday, they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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