Two young children, ages just 7 and 12, were forced to help beat and torture transgender man Sam Nordquist to death in an upstate New York motel, prosecutors revealed in a disturbing update Wednesday.
The 24-year-old victim had been sexually assaulted with a table leg and broomstick, had bleach poured on him and was beaten with sticks dog toys, rope canes and belts in the weeks leading up to his death at the Patty’s Lodge motel in the Finger Lakes region last month, court papers state.
It wasn’t immediately clear exactly how the kids — who have not been identified — were involved in Nordquist’s torture, but prosecutors described it as one of the “most troubling parts” of the twisted case.
“To have two children have to participate in the beating of another human being, it’s deeply disturbing,” Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Wolford told a news conference.
“It has — I can speak for myself and everyone involved in this investigation — been one of the most troubling parts of this. It’s heartbreaking.”
The disturbing allegations were laid bare as seven suspects were indicted on first-degree murder charges on Wednesday over Nordquist’s shocking death on Feb. 2.
The suspects, who had previously been arrested for second-degree murder, were also accused of kidnapping and child endangerment in the 11-count indictment.
Nordquist, a black man who originally hailed from Minnesota, was transgender — but authorities have said they have no evidence his death was a hate crime.
Authorities said at least some of the alleged assailants identify as LGBTQ+ and at least one lived with Nordquist.
Despite not being labeled a hate crime, prosecutors said Nordquist had been treated “like a dog” in the month before his death.
“Sam was beaten, assaulted, sexually abused, starved, held captive and we cannot make sense of that,” Wolford said.
“We cannot put that on his gender, and we cannot put that on his race. And I know many will ask the question: Why? Well, as I stand here today as a human being, we’ll never know the answer why.”
Wolford revealed the top charge against the alleged perps was being increased to first-degree murder because Nordquist had been tortured.
One of the suspects, Precious Arzuaga, had been charged with forcing the two kids to take part in the alleged abuse.
The other six people slapped with murder charges include: Patrick Goodwin, Kyle Sage, Jennifer Quijano, Emily Motyka, Kimberly Sochia and Thomas Eaves.
The two children haven’t been identified.
It comes after Nordquist — who had arrived in New York in September and had lost contact with loved ones this year — was reported missing on Feb. 9.
His body was found wrapped in plastic and dumped in a field several days later.
With Post wires
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