A 21-year-old Louisianna man who targeted gay and bisexual men on a dating application with the intent to kidnap, kill, and dismember them recently pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to over four decades in prison.
Chance Seneca used the gay 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.” Seneca believed the victim was dead and tried to dismember him.”
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.” 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.
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. 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.”
On Jan. 25, the Justice Department announced that Seneca had been 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.
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