La. man pleads guilty to using Grindr to kidnap gay man, attempting to kill and dismember him

LAFAYETTE, La. (TCD) -- A 21-year-old man has recently pleaded guilty to targeting and kidnapping a gay man in 2020 through the dating app Grindr with the intent to kill and dismember him.

According to the Department of Justice, Chance Seneca, who was 19 years old at the time, kidnapped and attempted to murder a victim. He drove the victim to an isolated house and ordered him to put on handcuffs, threatening him with a handgun.

The Department of Justice said Seneca admitted that he intended to murder and dismember the victim for the "purpose of satisfying his homicidal urges, and that he had planned to continue murdering until he was caught or killed."

The 18-year-old victim was reportedly found in a bathtub with strangulation marks on his neck and his wrists slit to the bone. The victim also sustained six stab wounds to the neck and blunt force trauma to his head, WAFB-TV reports. He was in a coma for three days and remained in the hospital for almost a month.

On Thursday, Sept. 29, the Department of Justice announced Seneca pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping. The maximum sentence for the kidnapping offense is life in prison. He could reportedly face additional exposure if the court finds that Seneca intentionally chose the victim due to his perceived gender or sexual orientation.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana said, "The facts surrounding the events that took place in this case are very disturbing."

Brown continued, "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's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2023.

MORE:

• Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping a Gay Man as Part of Scheme to Kidnap and Murder Grindr Users - Department of Justice
• La. man accused of targeting gay men to dismember them and use body parts pleads guilty - WAFB
• Louisiana man charged with attempted murder, intent to kidnap and dismember gay men, 3/19/21 - TCD