Jeffrey Dahmer CopyCat Sentenced To 45 Years For Plot To Kidnap, Murder Gay Men
Image: Chance Seneca (left) and Holden White.
A 21-year-old fan of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for kidnapping and attempting to murder a gay man, as part of a plot to abduct, kill and eat the remains of gay men.
Trigger Warning: This story discusses a hate crime, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
Chance Seneca from Lafayette, Louisiana, used Grindr to lure 19-year-old Holden White, a gay man and drove him to an isolated house on June 20, 2020. He then took out a handgun and asked White to put on handcuffs for a sexual encounter.
According to the US Department of Justice, Seneca “used several methods to attempt to murder him”.
White told The Acadiana Advocate, that Seneca wrapped a cord around his throat and started pulling him backwards. Believing White 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,” the Justice Department said in a press release.
“Seneca acknowledged that he kidnapped and attempted to murder (White) in order to satisfy a compulsive murder-fantasy.”
Fixated With The Idea Of Killing Gay Men
The Justice Department revealed that 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.”
Jeffrey Dahmer was a serial killer who had murdered and dismembered 17 gay men and boys between 1978 and 1991.
White who passed out during the attack on him, woke up to find himself bloodied and lying in a bathtub.
“There was just blood all over my chest and stuff… He was just kind of sitting there watching me,” White, who suffered six stab wounds to the neck, blunt force trauma to the head and deep cuts to his wrists that almost sawed off his hands, said.
Seneca called 911 and said that he had murdered someone. White was rushed to the hospital and was in a coma for three days after the attack.
Truly Shocking Case
In September 2022, Seneca pleaded guilty and admitted before U.S. District Judge Robert Summerhays that he intended to murder and dismember White “for the purpose of satisfying his homicidal urges and that he had planned to continue murdering until he was caught or killed.
“The facts of this case are truly shocking, and the defendant’s decision to specifically target gay men is a disturbing reminder of the unique prejudices and dangers facing the LGBTQ+ community today,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement.
“The internet should be accessible and safe for all Americans, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. We will continue to identify and intercept the predators who weaponize online platforms to target LGBTQ+ victims and carry out acts of violence and hate.”
If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.
For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14
For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.
