Man pleads guilty to kidnapping gay man he met on Grindr in order to kill, dismember him

A Louisiana man has pleaded guilty Thursday to a kidnapping charge in connection to an attempted murder scheme, according to the Justice Department.

In a release, the Justice Department said that 21-year-old Chance Seneca admitted to using the LGBT dating app Grindr in June of 2020 to kidnap and try to kill a gay man, who was identified as H.W. 

Seneca arranged a meeting with H.W. and drove him to an isolated house before taking out a handgun and telling him to put on handcuffs, according to the department. The department said that Seneca tried to kill and dismember H.W. to satisfy homicidal urges and planned to continue to do so until he was caught by authorities or killed. 

Seneca faces a maximum of life imprisonment for kidnapping and is likely to face a harsher sentence if the court finds beyond a reasonable doubt that he intentionally chose H.W. because of his actual or perceived gender or sexual orientation. 

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 25, 2023. 

“The actions and intentions of the defendant in this case were shocking,” said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke. “The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.” 

Brandon Brown, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, said the facts of the case are “disturbing,” and prosecutors will continue to seek justice for victims who “suffer at the hands” of defendants like Seneca. 

An affidavit from when Seneca was charged states that he called the police on himself on the night he was with H.W., saying “it’s my fault” and “I didn’t want all this to happen.” Officers found H.W. in a bathtub and reported his wrists slit and strangulation marks around his neck. 

H.W. was transferred to a medical center for a few days to recover.

The original indictment against Seneca involved other charges, including hate crime with intent to kill and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.