• Nougat@fedia.io
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    16 hours ago

    While James Ritts, the district attorney of Ontario County, New York, referred to Nordquist’s death as “beyond depraved,” investigators have since suggested that it likely was not a hate crime.

    Oh come the fuck on. He was tortured and sexually assaulted for a month.

    • HeartyOfGlass@lemm.ee
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      8 hours ago

      It’s about motive.

      Officials then revealed in the statement, obtained Monday by USA TODAY, that the relationship between the suspects and Nordquist suggests it was not a hate crime.

      Nordquist and those suspected in his death were known to each other, and all identified as LGBTQ+, authorities said. At least one of the suspects lived with Nordquist before his death, the statement added.

      A “hate crime” by most definitions is motivated purely by a prejudice against someone because of their race/gender/sexuality. If the culprits were just doing this because they’re psychotic, it wouldn’t be pursued as a “hate crime”.

      “We are still in the early stages of this investigation,” according to a statement. “We urge the community not to speculate into the motive behind the murder as we work to find justice for Sam.”

      It sounds like it’s still possible it’ll be tried as a hate crime, but the revelation that the culprits were known to the victim and also identified as LGBTQ+ means there’s likely more to the motive.

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      11 hours ago

      Yeah but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was a hate crime.