CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. — A local rally took place today in Canandaigua, calling for justice for Sam Nordquist, a transgender man who was murdered in Ontario County. His body was discovered in a field in Yates County last week.

Police have arrested and charged seven individuals in connection with Sam’s murder. Among those charged is Precious Arzuaga, Sam’s girlfriend, whom he met online and visited in Canandaigua in September. Another suspect is Precious’ son, 21-year-old Thomas Eaves.

The Canandaigua community gathered to honor Sam’s memory. Protestors expressed their grief and demanded justice.

Erica McCarthy, a protestor, stated, “We need the support, we need to be heard. It needs to be seen that trans hatred is unacceptable. We need to stomp it out and we need to eliminate it.”

Another protestor, Ryan, shared his experience, saying, “I was devastated. I found out he was missing first on like Monday or Tuesday of that week before he was found. And I started sharing the post trying to find out where Sam was.”

Sam’s sister, Kayla Nordquist, expressed gratitude for the support. “It does warm my heart that so many people around the world are thinking about Sam, talking about Sam, and saying Sam’s name. It’s very heartwarming and makes us feel like we are not alone,” she said.

In Sam’s hometown in Minnesota, his family held a balloon release event in his honor with cake and pictures of Sam.

Police continue to investigate Sam’s murder but have stated that they are not classifying it as a hate crime.

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