Huntley hearings, which review how law enforcement obtained information from defendants, began Tuesday in Ontario County Court for two of the seven suspects charged in the killing of Sam Nordquist.
The hearings addressed the admissibility of certain statements. Spectrum News reported that defense attorneys for Precious Arzuaga argued that statements she made during a police welfare check, before her arrest, should not be used in court. They also questioned statements captured on corrections officers’ body-worn cameras while Arzuaga appeared to be in a mental health crisis.
Kimberley Sochia’s defense challenged a line of questioning conducted while she was in custody but not under arrest, arguing it should be inadmissible.
Similar Huntley hearings are expected this week for the other five suspects: Jennifer Quijano of Geneva, Kyle Sage of Hopewell, Patrick Goodwin of Rochester, Emily Motyka of Rochester, and Thomas Eaves of Geneva.
The seven are charged with first-degree murder in the death of 24-year-old Nordquist, a transgender man from Minnesota who moved to New York last September and was living at Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell. Authorities say Nordquist was held captive between January 1 and February 2, 2025, and subjected to repeated violence and torture, leading to his death. His body was later recovered in a field on Payne Road in Yates County.
Officials have not yet announced whether the case will go to trial, whether the suspects will be tried together or separately, or if the trial will remain in Ontario County. Authorities say there is no evidence the crime was motivated by hate.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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