A 21-year-old man from Lafayette, La., pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of kidnapping connected to a plot to murder users of the LGBT dating app Grindr.
Chance Seneca “acknowledged that he intended to murder and dismember,” a gay man “for the purpose of satisfying his homicidal urges,” according to the Department of Justice.
Per Seneca’s plea agreement, he admitted to using the Grindr app in June 2020 to find his victim. He used the app to propose a meeting with the man, identified as “H.W.” and drove them to an isolated house. There he took out a handgun and told H.W. to put on handcuffs before attempting to murder and dismember him.
“The facts surrounding the events that took place in this case are very disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “It is nothing short of miraculous that the victims who endured the vicious attacks from this defendant survived. We will continue to fight to seek justice for victims who suffer at the hands of defendants such as this.”
Seneca “had planned to continue murdering until he was caught or killed,” the Justice Department said.
This month, the controversial Netflix series “Dahmer” was released, bringing new attention to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who targeted gay men from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. According to statistics released by the Justice Department this summer, rates of violent victimization were significantly higher for persons age 16 or older who self-identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual than for those who identified as straight.
“This data reiterates what we already know: Society is failing to protect the safety of LGBT people, especially young adults, people of color, women, and bisexual people,” said the Prison Policy Initiative, a group that supports prioritizing rehabilitation programs over incarceration.
Seneca faces life in prison for the kidnapping charges. He also “faces additional exposure under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines if the sentencing court finds beyond a reasonable doubt that he intentionally selected the victim because of the victim’s actual or perceived gender or sexual orientation,” said the Justice Department.
“The actions and intentions of the defendant in this case were shocking,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. The Justice Department will continue to identify and hold accountable anyone who uses online spaces as a means to terrorize or abuse others.”
Seneca’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25.
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