Five people have been arrested in New York and charged in connection with the disappearance and murder of a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota, who police say was tortured and abused for weeks before his death.

Nordquist, a transgender man originally from Minnesota, was first reported missing on Feb. 9. He had reportedly been in New York since September. Police believe he had been tortured for more than a month, with his body later found in a field in Yates County, New York.

Sam Nordquist and his assailants were known to each other and identified as LGBTQ+, the district attorney’s office said.

One official called Sam Nordquist's death "one of the most horrific crimes" he had ever investigated throughout his 20 years in law enforcement.

The killing of a transgender man in upstate New York is not believed to be a hate crime, according to prosecutors, who said some of the alleged assailants were part of the LGBTQ community.