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

[zinn]

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.

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3669684-man-pleads-guilty-to-
kidnapping-gay-man-he-met-on-grindr-in-order-to-kill-dismember-him/