Guttural sobs filled an Ontario County courtroom Friday morning as Precious Arzuaga admitted to torturing, sexually assaulting, kidnapping and murdering 24-year-old Sam Nordquist in 2025.
Arzuaga, 40, who is one of seven defendants charged in connection with Sam’s death, pleaded guilty to all 10 charges she faced in front of Ontario County Judge Kristina Karle with the understanding that she will serve life in prison without parole.
Linda Nordquist, Sam’s mother, and Kayla Nordquist, his sister, made the 17-hour drive from Minnesota to watch Arzuaga admit to her crimes. Kayla’s cries could be heard throughout the courtroom as Arzuaga, who prosecutors have referred to as the “ring leader,” made her guilty pleas to each charge.
“I don’t know why she all of a sudden feels guilty,” Kayla said outside of the courthouse. “She wasn’t guilty when she was raping him and beating him and starving him. She didn’t feel guilty then.”
Arzuaga will return to court on Sept. 4 for her sentencing hearing, but the legal proceedings for her may not end there. In court on Friday, Judge Karle put on the record that there is a federal investigation into Arzuaga’s actions.
Ontario County District Attorney Jason MacBride would not say when or if federal charges would be filed, or even what those charges potentially could be, but he said he believes there will be continued conversations with the federal attorneys.
Arzuaga is now the second defendant to plead guilty in connection with Sam’s death, as Emily Motyka, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping earlier this month.
Here is what to know.
What charges did Arzuaga plead guilty to?
Arzuaga pled guilty to all 10 charges related to Nordquist’s death.
The charges include:
What happened to Sam Nordquist?
Prosecutors and Sam’s family allege that he met Arzuaga on TikTok in the summer of 2024. The two started a romantic relationship, and Sam ended up flying from Minnesota to the Canandaigua area to stay with Arzuaga for what his family thought was supposed to be a two-week vacation.
After the two weeks, Sam never got on his return flight home. He decided to stay with Arzuaga in room 22 at Patty’s Lodge in Hopewell, Ontario County, where she was living with her two young children.
Prosecutors allege that between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1, 2025, Arzuaga, Kyle Sage, Patrick Goodwin, Jennifer Quijano, Emily Motyka, Kimberly Sochia and Thomas Eaves brutally tortured Sam to death before disposing of his body in a field in Yates County.
In court on Friday, First Assistant District Attorney James Nobles questioned Arzuaga on each of the charges. With tears in her eyes, Arzuaga admitted to forcefully restraining Sam along with the other defendants by blocking him in with chairs and duct taping his hands, so that he couldn’t leave room 22.
Linda, who tried to stay composed throughout the hearing, sobbed as the prosecutor described what Arzuaga and the other defendants did to her son.
Arzuaga admitted to kicking, punching and sexually assaulting Sam with the handle of a broomstick over a prolonged period of time, which resulted in his death.
She was the only defendant to be charged with the two counts of coercion. These charges, she admitted on Friday, resulted from her coercing her two young children into participating and watching the torture Sam endured.
Nordquist family reacts to plea
Outside of the courthouse on Friday, Kayla became hysterical, collapsing into the arms of community members who were there to support the Nordquist family.
“Oh, my poor brother,” Kayla said through her tears. “He was just a baby. 24 years old is too young to die, and is too young to be murdered and tortured to death.”
Kayla described her brother as a good person, full of love and laughter and someone who trusted easily. She believes Arzuaga took advantage of Sam’s kindness.
“She manipulated him, she lured him and I think she wanted to kill him from the day she met him,” she said.
Linda, Sam’s mother, explained how hard it is to grapple with the public knowing the gruesome details of what happened to her son. After seeing Arzuaga in person for the first time at court, Linda said she doesn’t believe her tears or that she is remorseful. She doesn’t see Arzuaga’s guilty plea as justice for Sam.
“Sam’s still not here,” Linda said. “Sam will never have another birthday, another holiday, another family vacation, won’t get married ever, won’t have children ever. He’s gone. 24.”
Linda said she wants the world to remember Sam as the loving, caring and jokester person that he was. Her favorite memory with him, she said, was driving around the lake together, looking at the rich houses and fantasizing about them.
There are times she still thinks he is going to walk through her door, before the harsh reality of her loss sets in, she explained.
Linda’s son is gone, but she carries the last words he said to her everywhere she goes- memorialized in a tattoo on her shoulder.
“I love you, and I’ll call you tomorrow.”
What happens next?
Arzuaga will await her sentencing hearing, scheduled for Sept. 4, at the Monroe County Jail. MacBride said during that hearing, Sam’s family, the prosecutors, the defense attorneys and even Arzuaga herself will get the chance to speak in front of Judge Karle.
The judge will then impose the maximum sentence: life in prison with no chance of parole. Arzuaga will later be transferred to the state prison.
“Is this sentence ever going to bring him back? Does it undo the terrible things she did to him? Absolutely not,” MacBride said. “But I think the community should feel reassured that this individual won’t do this again- and she can’t do this to anyone else.”
The five other defendants are still pleading not guilty, as of now. Their trials are scheduled for 2027. MacBride said he couldn’t speak to how or if Arzuaga’s plea would impact the other’s decisions in pleading.
Arzuaga’s federal investigation. What we know
Not much is known about the details of Arzuaga’s federal investigation at this time. Her lawyer, William Swift, said he could not speak to it as he is only representing her on the state level.
Many crimes could result in federal charges. Those like bank robberies, narcotic-involved crimes, fraudulent activity that impacts interstate commerce and so on. The United States Department of Justice website explains that in cases where the crimes may violate both federal and state laws, the local U.S. Attorney’s Office will work with local and state law enforcement to see if federal charges should be brought.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet filed any charges against Arzuaga, so it is not clear what federal crimes, if any, she committed.
Sam’s mother said that if federal charges are brought, she doesn’t want Arzuaga to get the death penalty. It is the easy way out, Linda explained. She said she wants Arzuaga to suffer the same way her son had to.
—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York State. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn’t help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at MDScott@USATodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: ‘Ringleader’ pleads guilty in torture, murder of Sam Nordquist
Reporting by Madison Scott, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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By Madison Scott, New York Connect Team | USA TODAY Network
