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Date: 01-25-2023
Case Style:
United States of America v. Chance Joseph Seneca
Case Number: 6:21-cr-00043
Judge: Robert R Summerhays
Court: United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Lafayette County)
Plaintiff's Attorney: United States Attorney’s Office in Lafayette
Defendant's Attorney:
Description: Lafayette, Louisiana criminal defense lawyer represented Defendant charged with kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man as part of a months-long scheme to kidnap and murder gay men.
Chance Joseph Seneca, age 21, of Lafayette, Louisiana, pleaded guilty, Seneca in June 2020 used Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men, to kidnap and attempt to murder H.W., a gay man. Specifically, Seneca used Grindr to propose a meeting with H.W., with the intent of murdering and dismembering him, and then drove H.W. to an isolated house, took out a handgun, instructed him to put on handcuffs, and then used several methods to attempt to murder him. Believing that H.W. was dead, Seneca then attempted to dismember him. After his arrest, Seneca admitted that he had planned to continue murdering gay men until he was caught or killed.
Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder H.W. in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy. Seneca had become fixated with the idea of killing gay men, and this fascination led him to spend months designing a murder-kidnapping scheme that mirrored the murders of gay men committed by the notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Seneca intentionally targeted gay men, as Dahmer had done. Seneca had also intended to eat and preserve the bodies of his victims, as Dahmer had done.
“No one should ever be subjected to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon the victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown for the Western District of Louisiana. “The victim never thought that he would find himself falling prey to a predator in such a way. Hate crimes such as this are a top priority for the Department and this office, and we take these kind of cases very seriously. 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.”
“The preservation of civil rights and the investigation of Color of Law violations are of utmost priority for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.” "Today's sentencing sends a clear message that individuals like Chance Seneca will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Louisiana, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Lafayette Police Department for their strong partnership and dedication to protecting the civil rights of every citizen.”
The FBI and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.
Deputy Criminal Chief Myers Namie for the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
HATE CRIME - INCLUDING KIDNAP OR ATTEMPT TO KIDNAP, SEXUALLY ASSAULT, OR KILL - Hate Crime with Attempt to Kill
(1)
VIOLENT CRIME/DRUGS/MACHINE GUN - Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
(2)
KIDNAPPING - Kidnapping
(3)
KIDNAPPING - Kidnapping
(4)
KIDNAPPING - Attempted Kidnapping
(5)
DESTRUCTION,ALTERNATION,FALSIFICATION RCDS FED INVESTIGATION - Obstruction by Destruction of Records
(6)
Outcome: Defendant was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments: