“Ringleader” in Sam Nordquist’s Torture and Murder Pleads Guilty
The woman accused of orchestrating the transgender man's abuse and killing agreed to life in prison but could still face federal charges.
The woman described as the “ringleader” in the killing of transgender man Sam Nordquist in upstate New York has pleaded guilty to state charges, agreeing to a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Precious Arzuaga, 40, faced 11 charges, including first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree conspiracy, first-degree aggravated sexual abuse, and concealment of a corpse for her role in holding Nordquist captive, torturing him inside a Hopewell motel room, and disposing of his body in the winter of 2025.
She faced a second-degree murder charge, but that count was satisfied by her guilty plea to the first-degree murder charge.
Arzuaga also pleaded guilty to two counts of endangering the welfare of a child and two counts of first-degree coercion for forcing two children — ages 7 and 12 at the time — to take part in the abuse alongside six other adults.
Arzuaga could still face a federal trial and a potential death sentence if federal prosecutors pursue capital murder charges. Although New York does not have the death penalty for state crimes, a person convicted of capital murder in federal court can be sentenced to death.
Before accepting Arzuaga’s guilty plea, Ontario County Court Judge Kristina Karle warned her that agreeing to the maximum sentence would have no bearing on any federal case.
Arzuaga — who showed no emotion or visible signs of remorse during previous court appearances, according to Syracuse.com — kept her head down and silently cried as Ontario County Assistant District Attorney James Nobles read the charges aloud, describing how Nordquist had been abused by a group of seven adults, many of whom were members of the LGBTQ community.
According to NBC News, Nordquist met Arzuaga online before traveling from his home in Red Wing, Minnesota, to visit her outside Canandaigua in New York’s Finger Lakes region. After he failed to return home as planned, his mother, Linda Nordquist, grew concerned when he stopped responding to calls and text messages.
The next day, Linda Nordquist contacted the New York State Police and requested a wellness check at Room 22 of Patty’s Lodge, a motel that serves as temporary housing for people facing financial difficulties. When troopers arrived, Sam told them he was fine and did not need any help. He later called his mother to say he wanted to stay in New York to pursue the relationship.
Over the next few months, Nordquist’s communication with friends and family in Minnesota became increasingly infrequent, and he would only occasionally resume contact when his mother threatened to request additional wellness checks. Linda Nordquist believes her son was being controlled by Arzuaga and that police overlooked signs of abuse or distress.
A social services worker later told Linda Nordquist that Sam wanted to return to Minnesota and was devising an “escape plan,” but he never showed up for a follow-up meeting. He called his mother one last time on New Year’s Day and was never heard from again.
According to prosecutors, from January 1 to February 1, 2025, Arzuaga held Nordquist captive in Room 22 with the help of six others — including her on-again, off-again girlfriend, her adult son, his girlfriend, and two registered sex offenders. Prosecutors say the group repeatedly beat, tortured, and sexually assaulted the 24-year-old, starving him, forcing him to eat feces and drink urine and tobacco spit, pouring bleach on him, and penetrating him with foreign objects.
After Nordquist died from his injuries, some members of the group disposed of his body in an effort to conceal the crime. When state troopers conducted a wellness check on February 9, Arzuaga told them that she and Nordquist had ended their relationship and that he had left the area weeks earlier.
Nordquist’s remains, wrapped in plastic bags, were discovered by authorities on February 13 in a field in rural Yates County, about 20 minutes from Hopewell.
Ontario County District Attorney Jason MacBride said Arzuaga’s plea does not change his plans to prosecute the remaining five defendants.
Kayla Nordquist, Sam’s sister, told Syracuse.com that she believes Arzuaga always intended to kill her brother and questioned her motive for pleading guilty.
“I don’t know why all of a sudden she feels guilty,” Kayla Nordquist said. “She wasn’t guilty when she was raping him and beating him and starving him. She didn’t feel guilty then, and I don’t believe she feels guilty now.”
She said she believes Arzuaga is “trying to save her own ass” by avoiding a federal trial and potentially the death penalty.
Arzuaga’s lawyer, William Swift, declined to comment on what motivated his client’s guilty plea when asked by Syracuse.com.
Arzuaga is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4.
More from Metro Weekly:
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.