Man treated ‘like a dog’ before murder in upstate New York, prosecutor says

Seven people accused of killinga 24-year-old man in upstate New York subjected him to weeks of torture that included sexual assault, forcing him to eat feces and pouring bleach on him, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Editor’s Note: This story contains disturbing accounts of sexual violence. Seven people accused of killing a 24-year-old man in upstate New York subjected him to weeks of torture that included sexual assault, forcing him to eat feces and pouring bleach on him, prosecutors said Wednesday. The disturbing allegations came as the suspects were indicted on first-degree murder charges in the death of Sam Nordquist, whose body was found last month wrapped in plastic and dumped in a field in the Finger Lakes region. The group, 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 from Minnesota, was transgender but authorities have said they have no evidence of a hate crime. There are alleged assailants who identified as LGBTQ+ and at least one lived with Nordquist, authorities said. While not a hate crime, Ontario County Assistant District Attorney Kelly Wolford said at a news conference that Nordquist was treated “like a dog” in the month before his death on February 2.