The five individuals accused of murdering Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota, were originally scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday. However, on Tuesday, the Ontario County District Attorney’s Office announced that a grand jury had indicted all five suspects on at least one felony charge.
38-year-old Precious Azuaga, of Canandaigua, 30-year-old Jennifer Quijano, of Geneva, 33-year-old Kyle Sage, of Rochester, 30-year-old Patrick Goodwin, of Canandaigua; 19-year-old Emily Motyka, of Lima. Each has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Nordquist’s death.
The suspects will return to county court once the indictment is officially filed. Meanwhile, investigators are continuing to determine the exact cause of Nordquist’s death. The Ontario County District Attorney’s Office issued a statement on Sunday confirming that, at this time, there is no evidence to suggest that Nordquist’s murder was a hate crime.
Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant last Thursday at Room 22 of Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell where they uncovered key details related to the case. The investigation remains ongoing.
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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