A Lafayette, Louisiana man, 21-year-old Chance Seneca, was sentenced to a prison sentence of 45 years after pleading guilty to kidnapping and attempted murder.
In June 2020, using a dating app, Seneca lured gay men. The wannabe killer reportedly idolizes Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial killer who preyed on and murdered gay men in the late 1970s.
Seneca admitted to using Grindr, a dating application popular among gay and bisexual men. He admitted he was greatly influenced by Jeffrey Dahmer and his crimes and intended to kill his victims. Seneca used Grindr and Snapchat as his “hunting ground.”
Seneca, who was 19 at the time, was talking to Holden White, 18, on Grindr. He picked White up using his own car and the two went to a secluded residence. At gunpoint, Seneca forced White to put on handcuffs. Just like Dahmer, he choked, stabbed, and slit the victim’s wrists. White was then left for dead in a bathtub. Fortunately, White lived through the ordeal and was able to call 911. Authorities rushed to the scene and successfully apprehended the suspect.
Besides the thrill of killing gay men, like Dahmer, Seneca also wanted to keep and preserve his victims’ body parts since he intended to eat them. Due to Seneca’s fascination with Dahmer’s methods, he designed the murder-kidnapping scheme and planned to carry out the heinous acts until he was caught.
After being saved by the police, White was immediately brought to the hospital where he was in a coma for several days. He sustained permanent nerve damage to his wrists.
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.”
Seneca also faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder in Louisiana state court.
