A transgender man from Minnesota, Sam Nordquist, was tragically discovered deceased in a field in New York, and state officials have confirmed that he was familiar with his attackers.

Last week, authorities reported that the body of 24-year-old Nordquist was located in Benton, situated southeast of Rochester, New York.

Police previously stated that Nordquist had been subjected to extensive physical and mental abuse through severe violence and torture that allegedly began in late December and continued until February.

In a joint announcement released on Sunday, the Ontario County District Attorney’s Office and New York State Police confirmed that Nordquist was acquainted with those charged in his death, all of whom identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. One of the suspects reportedly lived with Nordquist leading up to the events surrounding his tragic demise.

New York officials disclosed this information to help reduce the public’s fears that the murder of Nordquist might be classified as a hate crime.

According to their statement, investigators suspect that Nordquist was murdered in Ontario County and then moved to Yates County “in an attempt to hide the crime.”

A map illustrating this area is provided below.

Five individuals have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to this case; they hail from various cities throughout New York:

• Patrick A. Goodwin, age 30
• Jennifer A. Quijano, age 30
• Kyle R. Sage, age 33
• Emily Jean Motyka, age 19
• Precious N. Arzuaga, age 38

The latest press release elaborated, “There have been numerous inquiries about whether Sam’s murder is classified as a hate crime. In New York, a ‘hate crime’ is described in Penal Law Section 485.05 as an offense committed ‘in whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, or sexual orientation of a person, regardless of whether that belief or perception is accurate.’ We are still at the initial stages of this investigation. Although we have gathered substantial evidence, we continue to follow up on leads provided to the State Police. We ask the community to refrain from speculating about the motive behind the murder as we seek justice for Sam. Currently, there is no evidence suggesting that Sam’s death was a hate crime.”

All five suspects were arraigned on Friday morning and are currently being held without bail. Authorities also announced that a preliminary hearing has been scheduled, and they anticipate further action from the grand jury soon.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS spoke with Kayla and Linda Nordquist, Sam’s mother and sister, on Friday morning while they were en route to New York to meet with law enforcement. Watch the full interview HERE.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist Nordquist’s family in traveling to New York during this difficult time.

Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the case to contact New York State Police at 585-398-4100 or send an email to crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.

You can find the complete press release from the Ontario County District Attorney and New York State Police below.