New York State Police: MN Man Murdered After Weeks of Torture

Farmington, NY (KROC-AM News) - New York State Police held a news conference this afternoon concerning the apparent torture and murder of a Minnesota man.

Officials reported that 24-year-old Sam Nordquist left Minnesota in late September to visit a person in New York. Captain Kelly Swift with the New York Bureau of Criminal Investigation says a search warrant was executed on Thursday and resulted in the recovery of the Twin Cities man’s body.

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Swift says the remains were found in a field near the town of Benton, near Rochester, New York, and the evidence uncovered a "deeply disturbing pattern of abuse that ultimately resulted in Sam's death." She also stated that Nordquist suffered "prolonged physical and psychological abuse." Swift says the evidence indicates the torture took place between early December and this month.

During today's news conference, Captain Swift expressed condolences to Nordquist's family and characterized his murder as one of the most horrific crimes she has ever investigated in her 20 year career in law enforcement. She also stated that the possibility that it was a hate crime has not been ruled out.

The Ontario County District Attorney also spoke of the news conference and announced that five people had been arraigned on second-degree murder charges in the case. He also indicated that a Grand Jury will likely be convened soon to investigate possible additional charges.

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