Staff Report / September 9, 2026
CANANDAIGUA – Two women who admitted to participating in the brutal kidnapping, torture, and murder of 24-year-old Sam Nordquist were sentenced Tuesday in Ontario County Court to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Precious Arzuaga and Jennifer Quijano received the maximum penalties for their roles in the death of Nordquist, who had traveled from Minnesota to Canandaigua to meet Arzuaga, his girlfriend whom he had met online. Prosecutors identified Arzuaga as the “ringleader” of the group, detailing a month-long ordeal of physical and psychological torture between January and February 2025 that ultimately resulted in Nordquist’s death.
Quijano, who previously pleaded guilty to multiple felony counts including first-degree murder and concealing a human corpse, was handed the identical mandatory life sentence. Out of the seven individuals indicted in connection with Nordquist’s death, four have now entered guilty pleas as legal proceedings continue for the remaining co-defendants.
Key updates from Tuesday’s courtroom proceedings include:
- Precious Arzuaga: Sentenced to life in prison without parole after being identified by prosecutors as the central organizer behind the month of torture.
- Jennifer Quijano: Received a sentence of life in prison without parole for her active participation in the prolonged abuse and subsequent concealment of the victim’s body.
- Case Status: A total of seven individuals were charged in the conspiracy; four have entered guilty pleas to date, with separate legal tracks remaining for the outstanding defendants.
