Not guilty pleas were entered in Ontario County Court Tuesday by the seven people charged with first-degree murder in the death of Sam Nordquist.
29-year-old Kimberly Socchia, of Canandaigua, 21-year-old Thomas Eaves, of Geneva, 38-year-old Precious Arzguaga, of Canandaigua, 30-year-old Jennifer Quijano, of Geneva, 19-year-old Emily Motyka, of Lima, 30-year-old Patrick Goodwin, of Canandaigua, and 33-year-old Kyle Sage, of Rochester were indicted on charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree conspiracy, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Goodwin, Sage, Arzuaga, and Quijano, are also charged with first-degree aggravated sexual abuse.
It is also alleged that Arzuaga forced a 7-year-old and 12-year-old to partake in some of the acts of torture against Nordquist. For that, she has been charged with two counts of coercion.
It is believed the 24-year-old Nordquist traveled from Minnesota to the Finger Lakes last September and was staying at Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell with some of the suspects. Nordquist, who identified as being a transgender man, was reported missing on January 1. According to the indictment, the suspects tortured Nordquist between January 1 and February 2nd. Nordquist’s body was found February 13 in a field in Benton, Yates County.
All seven suspects are due back in court next month.
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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