Chance Seneca, a 21-year-old Louisiana resident, was recently sentenced to 45 years in prison for planning a murder scheme similar to Jeffrey Dahmer’s.
In 2020, Seneca used the gay dating app Grindr to seek out one specific victim and other members of the gay community to target due to their sexual orientation and gender.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division expressed her shock at the facts of the case, and her concern that the gay community still faces discrimination and danger. She remarked: “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.”
In 2020, Seneca, then a teenager, made contact with one individual, referred to only as H.W., through a press release on Grindr. His objective was to murder and dismember the victim. Seneca drove H.W. to an abandoned house, where he pulled out a gun and forced the victim to put on handcuffs. He then attempted to kill H.W. by utilizing “several methods”. This included strangling him until he lost consciousness, placing him in a bathtub, hitting the back of his head with a hammer, and stabbing his neck with icicles.
After calling 911 on himself, the victim went into a coma but survived. In his confession to investigators, Seneca revealed that he intended to kidnap and murder other gay men in order to fulfill a murder fantasy inspired by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer.
U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana acknowledged the gravity of the situation and warned people to remain vigilant when using the internet. He stated, “No one should ever be subjected to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case…It is important that we all remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid situations that may lead to destructive behavior of others towards us.”
Seneca’s crimes occurred before the release of the 2022 Netflix TV series, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”, which brought renewed attention to one of the most prolific serial killers in the United States.