Local Police Initially Refused to Pursue Hate Crime Charges
The U.S. Dept. of Justice has charged 19-year old Chance Seneca of Louisiana in an “overarching scheme” to kidnap, murder, and eat gay men, “dismember” them, and save parts of their bodies as trophies, the AP and The Daily Beast report. Seneca said he used the gay dating app Grindr as a “hunting ground.”
Seneca, the DOJ’s indictment alleges, last year, “attempted to kidnap one man and successfully kidnapped two other men through his use of Grindr, a dating application for gay and bisexual men. The indictment further alleges that the defendant attempted to murder one of these men because of his gender and sexual orientation, and that the defendant intended to dismember and keep parts of the victim’s body as trophies, mementos and food.”
Buzzfeed posted the criminal complaint, which includes gruesome details. It claims Seneca slit his 18-year old vicim’s wrists “to the bone,” and was going to save the hands as trophies but could not complete the act. He repeatedly told his victim, “let go…I’m setting you free.”
Last year Towleroad reported “Seneca’s Facebook profile has featured an image of Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer who murdered 17 men and boys from 1978-91.”
Despite all the evidence, including the use of Grindr, the Dahmer profile photo, and Seneca’s alleged admission he was setting the victim “free” by trying to kill him, “Lafayette police had initially declined to pursue hate crime charges against Seneca, saying there was not enough evidence,” Buzzfeed notes. “Authorities then reversed course in January.”
Seneca, the DOJ adds, “tried to cover up his actions by deleting communications between himself and the victim of the attempted murder.”
Additionally, he “possessed a firearm in furtherance of the hate crime, and that he tried to cover up his actions by deleting communications between himself and the victim of the attempted murder.”
He is being charge with six felonies, including hate crime charges, kidnapping, firearm, and obstruction charges.
Image: Lafayette County Sheriff