A 17-year-old girl with a small social media following in upstate New York was killed by a man she'd met recently on Instagram, who then posted photos of her corpse online, police said Monday. The horrific photo spreading on the social media platform Discord had prompted calls from around the country. Her 17-year-old daughter, Bianca, was in danger, she was told by police who had been alerted to some disturbing footage proliferating on social media. The influencer, who was 17 at the time, was murdered by Brandon Clark in July 2019 in his car after returning from a concert in New York City. Det. Clark's online followers were stunned at the images. But Bianca's behavior was growing increasingly erratic. Kim Devins: I know that if she had gotten out of that car, she would have called me. Who has given so much love to this family. Frank believes those who shared the photos didn't see Bianca as a loving daughter or a cherished granddaughter. The photos were redistributed widely on online chat sites including 4chan and Discord, . Im sorry to all the family and friends who wanted me to achieve. Prosecutor Michael Nolan: [pointing to the list]: Set up speaker, and Last song? 8pm. According to WSYR-TV, Utica Police found Clark on Poe Street about 7:20 a.m. Sunday, July 14, outside of an SUV. When I close my eyes, those images haunt me, she wrote. Instagram has not yet removed images of Devins' body after she was murdered, as originally posted by Brandon Andrew Clark, a 21-year-old who was said to be dating Devins, according to the New. As the officer moved into position, Clark slashed himself with a knife. Bianca Devins, a popular 17-year-old influencer on the video-sharing site Tik Tok, was allegedly fatally stabbed early Sunday by a man she'd met on Instagram who then posted images of her. For over a year, Kim's family and friends had shielded her from the horrific photo, which was widely circulated online following Bianca Devins ' murder in July 2019. She also says she has seen cropped and adjusted versions of the explicit photos, as well as the images sandwiched between other, more innocuous images, as a way of evading recognition from Instagrams algorithm. Bianca Devins sister, Olivia Devins, confirmed on Instagram that Bianca was the victim of the Utica murder. And he says, "well sorry is not enough." World (c) 2019 The. Rest easy, I love you so much forever and always.. They're of a lovely, beautiful girl whose life was taken from her in a cruel way. It is believed that some sort of argument ensued at the venue that precipitated the following engagement between the two. Incels are individuals men 21 or older who have gone six months or longer without any sort of sexual activity not by their own volition. MICHAEL NOLAN: Right. To a degree, its not shocking that it would be challenging for Instagram which says it has a billion users per month to keep up with the proliferation of the images. On Sunday night, hours after police had arrested Clark, the photos of Bianca Devins were still available for the world to see on his Instagram page. She met with him willingly. Clark then took photographs . How about we have some fucking consideration FOR HER!!!. It is a form of . She says shes shocked by how easy it has been to find the images. After communicating on social media, they eventually took their relationship offline and briefly dated, but were never exclusive. Bianca Devins' alleged killer is a 21-year-old micro-influencer named Brandon Andrew Clark, . He. Were trying to see if it was preplanned or if its something that just happened., McNamara told WKTV, Under the law, theres something called extreme emotional disturbance. Brandon Clark, who had been out with Bianca Devins the night she died, called 911. Advertisement "Many random people set their profile pictures as my sister's death photo and went on my page knowing I would, without a doubt, see it," Olivia Devins reportedly . Bianca's death photos spread on the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They didn't see her as a person at all. But before police could make that call, Kim says she had already learned the painful truth. August 13, 2022 / 10:59 PM "A very twisted need is being met by continuing to share these and trying to get these [images] to Bianca's family," he tells CBS News national correspondent Jericka Duncan. Devins, 17, who used the Instagram handle @escty, was allegedly murdered by Brandon Andrew Clark, 21, on Sunday. Theyre almost always the ones who get targeted and brutally murdered due to the absolute horribleness of insane, worthless men. Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: What we see from there is the beginning of the homicide where Brandon reaches into the back. Photos of Bianca Devins' body were posted to social media after her death. Two days before killing Bianca, Clark utilized the Notes app on his smartphone and typed a sinister checklist. In this case, a lot of it is background on both individuals. BRANDON CLARK: My name is Brandon. Investigators learned that message was taken from a series of Japanese comic books called "Punpun" that Clark and Bianca had often read together. Prosecutor Michael Nolan: As this case was going, one of the things we saw was that "May you never forget me." EJ Dickson: On Discord, it's fairly common for people to post gore and disturbing images just to sort of get a rise out of people. Kim told police she last saw Bianca the day before as she headed with friends to a concert in New York City. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Bianca Devins was a 17-year-old girl from Utica, New York, who was murdered. It actually furthers the physical crime. Bianca Devins stepmother wrote on Facebook, Bianca was a lot of things to so many people. Before hanging up, Clark told the dispatcher where they could find him on a dead-end road. BRANDON CLARK: I did not go to law school. Officers then found Bianca Devins dead near the SUV. Bianca Devins was killed by 21-year-old Brandon Clark. It's traumatizing to see people saying that your daughter, your, you know, this is my baby, that she deserved such a cruel end to her life. Bianca texted her mother after the concert to say she was heading home. Take your punishment. Grisly photos of teen killed in Utica spread on social media. And that's not all. BRANDON CLARK: With the resources I was provided it looks like he did not do his job. Investigators learned that after Clark and Bianca left the concert, she texted Alex to say, " I think he saw me kiss you.". In 2014, a 22-year-old self-identified incel went on a deadly rampage in Isla Vista, California, killing six people. Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: it wasn't just Bianca and Brandon, that in fact they were accompanied by another person, another guy. Det. The image of 17-year-old social media influencer Bianca Devins with a slit throat was posted by her 21-year-old boyfriend, Brandon Andrew Clark, with the caption "I'm sorry Bianca" at around . Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: He was very helpful in explaining the last moments that he spent with Bianca. EJ Dickson: She also had an active presence on 4chan, which is sort of on the darker side of the web I'd go on record to say 4chan is a dangerous place and it's also just an incredibly, incredibly misogynistic space. Jericka Duncan: Describe for me, where was Brandon? But on social media, the graphic images posted on Instagram by the suspect began to spread quickly. They have worked with local politicians, like then-Congressman Anthony Brindisi, to try and get "Bianca's Law" passed. Det. It would criminalize sharing personal photos without permission. OFFICER: Where's the girl!? He then, according to authorities, took photos of her dead body, posting a. Horrific images of 17-year-old Bianca Devins were posted on . Ms Devins' boyfriend Brandon Andrew Clark allegedly posted graphic pictures . Bryan Coromato: We know that he's he's playing a game with everybody. Olivia has had to take a break from social media because there's always the risk of having to see her sister's death photo. Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: He tells her, you know "I saw you kiss him, right?" where she took the web-based media stage & other online savages responsible for increasing her perished little girl's photos and to know more about this . Her suspected killer, Brandon Clark, 21, took photos of the crime and posted them online. Bianca Devins Family photo via Utica Police Department CNN The family of Bianca Devins, the 17-year-old internet personality whose July 2019 murder was broadcast online by her killer,. Once the images were eventually removed from Clark's Instagram page, they continued to recirculate as platforms struggled to keep up. Police have not commented about the photos posted to social media after the killing. KIM DEVINS [to officer]: It went right to voice mail. She was so loved and it breaks our hearts not knowing if she ever realized just how loved she was. If she had just been able to get out of that car. There were moments where I probably spent 2. Even in her deepest, darkest, lowest points, she somehow managed to help so many people who were battling their own demons., A family friend wrote on Facebook, Bianca was a beautiful person, inside and out! (The corner of Parkway and Oneida) Everyone is welcome to bring candles. Such cynical death profiteers notwithstanding, many have criticized Instagram and other social media platforms for being slow to take down the photos, with some saying that they reported the images only for Instagram to tell them that it did not violate community guidelines. Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: We see that he wakes Bianca up. Give this family some peace. Steven Crimando: Bianca would be considered a Stacy. After attempting to injure himself, he laid down across a green in color tarp that was on the ground some distance away. It's so exploitive of my daughter. In this sense, Instagrams handling of the Devins photos is exemplary of a wider problem, but Russett says this is a particularly egregious example considering the elements of the case: Devins was an active 4chan user and a so-called egirl, or an aspiring influencer who coopted aspects of gaming culture in her Instagram persona, which has prompted many 4chan trolls to viciously mock her and share memes about her death. ), Related The gruesome image, something . Other officers arrived within moments, and together they engaged the male. As concerned friends scrambled to work out if the photo was real, the suspect continued . Reporter EJ Dickson covered Bianca's story for Rolling Stone, and says the internet has a name for the type of character Bianca portrayed online. EJ Dickson: Unfortunately, extremely violent and disturbing images can circulate wildly on social media, and a lot of social media platforms don't have the infrastructure in place to prevent that from happening. Along with the photos were hateful messages blaming Bianca for what happened to her. The 17. Clark did multiple internet searches some the day before the murder researching ways to kill. The officer immediately noticed brown hair protruding from beneath the tarp and inquired as to where the injured female was. There was a relationship. And during cross examination prosecutor Michael Nolan demolished Clark's argument about his "supposed" legal knowledge. Jericka Duncan: How was her mood when she left? Bianca Devins recently graduated from Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica, New York. Bryan Coromato: When I arrived on scene, Brandon was actually just being wheeled out to the ambulance. To understand exactly what was happening between Bianca and Clark that night, investigators began reviewing their social media accounts and soon learned the two weren't alone at the concert. It's not her, it's not my baby. Responding officers placed Clark under arrest and found Bianca's body hidden under a tarp. The judge denied Brandon Clark's request to withdraw his guilty plea. Frank Williams [standing outside the courtroom post sentencing]: Our deepest thoughts now are with Bianca, our angel. Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: And that song was, we later learned, "Test Drive" by Joji about a person who is more invested in the relationship than somebody else. Provided by the Devins family. He is accused of killing Bianca Devins, 17, who had 170,000 followers on Instagram, earlier this month. MICHAEL NOLAN: And again, what law school did you go to Mr. Clark? OFFICER [bodycam video to Kim Devins]: Brandon is that her ex or her boyfriend or? Det. The belief is that she kissed somebody at the concert and thats what upset him, Oneieda County District Attorney Scott McNamara told WKTV. But he caught her completely off guard. Kim may have been right to be suspicious. She was having some separation anxiety, didn't want to go to school and just wanted to stay home with me. Mar 17, 2021 at 7:20 am. PROSECUTOR MICHAEL NOLAN: Again, whose idea was it to plead guilty to these charges? It was after he finished filming the video that Clark took those graphic photos of Bianca and posted them on social media. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. It was updated on August 13, 2022.]. The back seat is folded out so that its flat. And in that post, he says, "Here comes Hell. EJ Dickson: Bianca's family members were being targeted as a result of Bianca's death. Apparently, he's suicidal. One tweet that Russett says she flagged at 8:00 p.m. Monday night is still publicly available as of press time. EJ Dickson: Bianca had made it clear to Brandon that she was not interested in a committed, monogamous relationship at this point, and Brandon had seemed to accept that. Clark made an "incriminating" phone call to police to report Devins' murder and stabbed himself once police arrived at the scene, authorities . Even in her worst struggles, when she couldn't help herself, she helped others. He collects from the back seat a knife, indicating to us that's something he came prepared with. Every time the photo was removed another one would appear in its place, says reporter EJ Dickson. Source: Instagram/@escty. Once this occurred, it was learned that a young female had suffered extensive injuries to her neck, and was obviously deceased. Clark was officially charged with second-degree murder and pleaded not guilty. But despite their relief, Bianca's family knows their fight may not be over. She was the first child to her mother, Kim Devins, who had given birth to her at just the age of 17. The photos remained on Clarks Instagram page for several hours before they were removed. It was a relationship and a horrifying . They also have established a scholarship in Bianca's name. "Social media was a huge part of Bianca's life," says Kim Devins. It's just not good enough for him. Prosecutor Michael Nolan: Brandon wanted to be with her. ", Frank Williams: I knew it was her. I'm going to be dead on the ground. This photo is from before her death. Speaking to people that knew them both, Utica Police Lieutenant Bryan Coromato told the news station. Investigator Michael Curley: We learned that Brandon is meticulous in his categorization, itemization of things that he wants to do. She is now looking down on us, as she joins her cat, Belle, in heaven. He said, in fact, he was the one who encouraged his former client to plead not guilty and go to trial, but it was Clark who refused. Two weeks after the murder, Bianca's family and friends packed the courtroom wearing pink her favorite color as they waited for Brandon Clark to make his first public appearance. 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