No evidence of hate crime in killing of US transgender man, authorities say
'We urge the community not to speculate into the motive behind the murder as we work to find justice for Sam,' authorities said over the weekend in a joint press release from the Ontario county district attorney's office and New York state police. 'At this time, we have no indication that Sam's murder was a hate crime.'
The statement added: 'To help alleviate the understandable concern his murder could be a hate crime, we are disclosing that Sam and his assailants were known to each other, identified as LGBTQ+, and at least one of the defendants lived with Sam in the time period leading up to the instant offense.'
All five suspects – Precious Arzuaga, 38; Jennifer A Quijano, 30; Kyle Sage, 33; Patrick A Goodwin, 30; and Emily Motyka, 19 – have been arrested, arraigned and were ordered held without bail in Ontario county's jail on charges of second-degree murder.
A felony complaint obtained by 13WHAM provides gut-wrenching details of Nordquist's brutal killing. Authorities say he was tortured and sexually assaulted using a table leg and broomsticks.
He was also reportedly subjected to repeated, prolonged beatings which included being punched, kicked and struck with various objects such as sticks, belts, ropes, dog toys and canes, ultimately leading to his death.
Nordquist's family reported him missing on 9 February, authorities said. Within days, investigators from the state police alerted the Ontario district attorney's office that the circumstances surrounding the disappearance 'appeared suspicious'.
On 12 February, police discovered Nordquist's remains in a field in Yates county.
Authorities determined that Nordquist was killed in Ontario county and that his accused killers disposed his body after transporting it to Yates county in an effort to conceal the alleged murder.
'No human being should have to endure what Sam endured,' authorities said during a televised news conference. One police captain mentioned that in her 20-year law enforcement career, this crime was 'one of the most horrific' she had ever investigated.
Nordquist, who was originally from Oakdale, Minnesota, had reportedly traveled to New York in September to meet his 'online girlfriend', as detailed on a GoFundMe page created by his sister, Kayla. He had bought a round-trip plane ticket, it adds, and was supposed to return home by mid-October.
Nordquist's family said that they had not heard from him since 1 January – and the last confirmed sighting of him was in early February.
As of Tuesday, the GoFundMe campaign set up to help the family with expenses – including a flight to New York to retrieve his body and bring it back to Minnesota – had received more than $100,000 in donations.
On Sunday, the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, said that she had directed the state police to provide 'any and all support and resource' to the district attorney as they continue the investigation into Nordquist's alleged murder.
'The charges against these indviduals are sickening and all New Yorkers should join together to condemn this horrific act,' she said.
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Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
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I was beaten and sexually abused by a family friend when I was four - the sick face he pulled at me afterwards will haunt me forever
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ITV News
8 hours ago
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Four foreign nationals die in Southend Airport plane crash
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Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Nurse, 31, who was killed in the Southend Airport plane crash alongside three other foreign nationals 'was on her first day in the job' Did you witness the crash? Email
A 31-year-old nurse who was on her first day at a new job was one of four people killed in a plane crash at Southend Airport yesterday. Maria Fernanda Rojaz Ortiz, a German citizen but born in in Chile, had worked as a nurse before but was on her first shift as a flight nurse, the BBC reported. Her friends, who called her Feña, have described her as the 'kindest soul' and 'didn't have a single bad bone in her body'. They added that 'she was humble and chose a profession that reflected that'. The nurse had also reportedly married her partner last year, leaving her newly-wed wife devastated. One friend told Manchester Evening News: 'Her wife can barely speak, she can't even call the police, she's beside herself. She's absolutely distraught.' The pilot and co-pilot, both Dutch, also died when a small aircraft exploded into a fireball moments after take-off. 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The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has launched an investigation into what caused the Beech B200 Super King Air to suddenly plummet to the ground seconds after take-off. Chief superintendent Morgan Cronin continued: 'Our detectives and forensic teams are working in parallel with air accident investigators, the Royal Air Force, Essex Fire and Rescue Service and London Southend Airport to build an accurate picture of what happened. 'To aid our investigation, the Civil Aviation Authority has put in place a significant air exclusion zone surrounding the crash site. 'We're also speaking with dozens of witnesses, some of whom have already provided video footage, and we'd like to thank them for their help. I know this would be an extremely distressing scene for them. 'I know there will be a lot of questions about what happened here yesterday. We are doing all we can to establish the facts and get those answers.' Lisa Fitzsimons of the AAIB said at this stage 'it is too early to speculate' on what may have caused the plane crash. She said: 'Our focus is on gathering the physical evidence from the accident site and interviewing witnesses. 'The remains of the aircraft will then be recovered to our facility in Farnborough, Hampshire, for further detailed investigation.' Footage on social media shows a plume of fire and black smoke billowing into the air from the crash site, while witnesses described seeing the medical jet 'corkscrew' before erupting into a ball of flames. Ben Guppy, 34, who had taken his 15–month–old daughter to the fifth floor of a nearby Holiday Inn hotel to watch the planes take off and land, told MailOnline he saw the plane reach 'probably 50 metres off the runway' before it began tilting left. Describing the moment of impact, the wholesale director explained: 'My daughter was pointing at it and then it lifted to the left. The left wing came down, the ring wing came up. I thought 'He's keen to go left as soon as he takes off.' 'He's banking hard left and then the next thing you know, it's like another handbrake turn. He went left so violently and I thought 'What is he doing?' He was only about 100 metres up by this point. 'And then he corkscrewed upside down into the floor, the plane was only in the air for seconds. I looked at it and the fireball went up, there was fire and smoke everywhere. Luckily my daughter was facing the other way.' A plane 'corkscrewing' refers to the moment an aircraft rapidly spirals to towards the ground. The frantic moment a group of golfers, playing at the nearby Rochford Hundred Golf Club, rushed to the burning wreckage was also caught on camera. Zeusch Aviation, based at Lelystad Airport in The Netherlands, confirmed its SUZ1 flight had been 'involved in an accident' at Southend Airport. The statement said the company was 'actively supporting the authorities with the investigation', adding: 'Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected.' Zeusch Aviation's website says the plane can be used for medical flights to transport patients or organs. It has also been deployed for aerial mapping flights. The plane had flown from the Greek capital Athens to Pula in Croatia on Sunday before heading to Southend. It was scheduled to return to Lelystad on Sunday night. London Southend Airport will remain 'closed until further notice' after a plane crashed shortly after taking off on Sunday, the airport's chief executive Jude Winstanley said. Speaking at a press conference at the airport, he said: 'Our staff are working closely with the emergency services and air accident investigators to support their work. I would like to thank them for all of their hard work during this period. 'We are in constant dialog with our operating airlines, and as I'm sure everyone will understand, the airport will remain closed until further notice. Passengers should contact their airline for information and advice.' There were scheduled to be 20 easyJet flights and two Eastern Airways flights departing from or arriving at the airport on Monday. EasyJet said the company's remaining flights to and from the airport had been 'diverted to alternative airports or are no longer able to operate'. Witnesses have told of the terrifying moment the plane crashed into a fireball as they watched on in horror. Mr Guppy and his family, from Benfleet, Essex, have often made a trip out of going to the Holiday Inn at the airport, which has a bar and restaurant on the fifth floor with a window to watch the planes. The crowd in the bar began screaming, he recalled, while his own wife was distraught. The father told MailOnline: 'I just looked around like 'Am I dreaming?'. I turned to my wife Jess, who had her hands over her face. She was pretty much in tears. She's still pretty upset about it all.' Mr Guppy said they were 'about 500 metres away on the fifth floor, so it's not like we could help. We decided to get our daughter out of there'. He added: 'Driving home I did have a lump in my throat and goosebumps. Everyone was pulled over at the side of the road watching the smoke. 'On my way back I rang the police and told them what I'd seen. They told me they'd give me a call on Monday.' John Johnson, who was at the airport with his children and wife on Sunday, said they saw a 'big fireball' after the plane crashed 'head first into the ground'. Mr Johnson, from Billericay, told the PA news agency: 'We all waved at the pilots, and they all waved back at us. 'The aircraft then turned 180 degrees to face its take–off, departure, powered up, rolled down the runway. 'It took off and about three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed just head first into the ground. 'There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it.' He said he felt 'shaken up' and his thoughts were with the people on the plane and their loved ones. As a precaution, because of their proximity to the incident, police said they were evacuating the Rochford Hundred Golf Club and Westcliff Rugby Club but rugby club chairman Pete Jones said it had not been necessary. A bartender at the golf club, which is next door to the airport, said he felt a 'big heat wave' before looking up to a 'massive fireball' in the sky. James Philpott told the BBC: 'I was just basically in a hut like in the middle of the course and I didn't even see any plane go down or anything and I just felt like a big heat wave come through and I looked up and there was just a massive fireball basically 100 foot in the sky. 'It was more the heat really just kind of hit me as I was sitting there, just like, feel like I'm baking.' He continued: 'I think everyone was just quite shocked to be honest. 'People were sort of running towards it to see if anyone was injured or anything.' In a post on X, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incident as 'tragic', adding that her 'thoughts are with all those involved' and that she was 'monitoring the situation and closely receiving regular updates'. Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Southend, Rayleigh Weir and Basildon, along with off road vehicles from Billericay and Chelmsford attended the incident. Four ambulances, a rapid response vehicle, four hazardous area response team vehicles, three senior paramedic cars and Essex and Herts Air Ambulance were also sent to the scene, the East of England Ambulance Service said. Posting on X, David Burton–Sampson, Labour MP for Southend West and Leigh, said: 'I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. 'Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work. My thoughts are with everyone involved.' An AAIB spokeswoman said: 'The AAIB has started an investigation into an accident involving an aircraft near Southend Airport which occurred yesterday afternoon. 'A multi-disciplinary team including inspectors with expertise in aircraft operations, human factors, engineering and recorded data arrived at the accident site yesterday afternoon. Inquiries are ongoing today.' Southend Airport said the incident involved a 'general aviation aircraft' and the airport was 'working closely with the local authorities'. Essex Police have set up a dedicated public portal where people can contact them about the crash at:
