La. man sentenced for targeting gay men on dating apps to kill, dismember them

LAFAYETTE, La. (TCD) -- A 21-year-old man who targeted gay and bisexual men on a dating application with the intent to kidnap, kill, and dismember them recently pleaded guilty and was sentenced to over four decades in prison.

In June 2020, Chance Seneca used the LGBTQ+ dating application Grindr to meet with one of his victims, the Department of Justice announced. Seneca reportedly drove the victim to an "isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him."

According to the Justice Department, Seneca believed the victim was dead and tried to dismember him.

Seneca was arrested and reportedly said his intent was to kill gay men "until he was caught or killed."

Seneca allegedly confessed that he kidnapped and attempted to kill the victim to "satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy,” and he had become “fixated with the idea of killing gay men."

The Justice Department said Seneca acknowledged that this fascination "led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer."

Like Dahmer, Seneca reportedly planned to eat and preserve the remains of his victims.

Seneca had allegedly kidnapped two other men. One of Seneca’s victims, an 18-year-old man identified as Holden White, was found in a bathtub with strangulation marks on his neck and his "wrists slit to the bone."

Due to the attack, White was in a coma for three days and remained hospitalized for nearly a month.

An affidavit reportedly said Seneca called the police after the incident as a "self-described effort to be put into a mental institution."

Seneca was initially indicted on hate crime, kidnapping, firearm, and obstruction charges.

On Jan. 25, the Justice Department announced that Seneca was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison.

The decision was made by the court based on "many factors," including that Seneca specifically targeted his victims based on their gender and sexual orientation.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, "The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today."

Clarke continued, "The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate."

U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown of the Western District of Louisiana added, "No one should ever be subjected to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case."

MORE:

• Louisiana Man Sentenced to 45 Years for Kidnapping  and Attempting to Murder a Gay Man as Part of Hate Crime Scheme  Targeting Users of a Dating App for Gay Men —Department of Justice
• Louisiana man charged with attempted murder, intent to kidnap and dismember gay men, 3/19/2021 — TCD