Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: it wasn't just Bianca and Brandon, that in fact they were accompanied by another person, another guy. After she was killed and the story spread online, her account gained more than 40,000 followers, up from about 800. Bianca's family is trying to turn their grief into action. She had been through hell and back conquering her own mental illness and she won. 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. Investigators started at the crime scene. In addition to pushing for a new law in Bianca's name, her grandfather, Frank Williams, and mother Kim Devins announced a scholarship in her memory. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Where is she!? Just five months after pleading guilty to murdering Bianca Devins, Brandon Clark was back in court to try and change his plea back to not guilty. And instead you post about what a beautiful young woman she was., Her family issued a statement saying, We are very grateful for the outpouring of love and sympathy we have received from our Friends, Family, Biancas Friends and the whole community. Despite reports that Devins only met and knew her suspected killer online, Devins sister says Biancas family had also met him in real life and called the suspect a family friend. BRANDON CLARK: He knew that I was a first-time offender and had no knowledge of the legal system, knowledge about court proceedings. Devins, 17, who used the Instagram handle @escty, was allegedly murdered by Brandon Andrew Clark, 21, on Sunday. THE killer of YouTuber Bianca Devins allegedly took selfies next to her dead body and shared them online after reportedly filming a video showing the teen being murdered. Photos of the violence and the moments before and after were posted on what appeared to be his Instagram account. Making matters worse, the images were sent to her family. And that's who Brandon is, he is a murderer. Kim Devins: It didn't make sense to me. It was updated on August 13, 2022.]. Though she had turned a corner, Bianca maintained her edgy persona and by age 17 had created multiple identities. Nothing better than waking up at 4am to find out your brother killed someone and tried to kill himself, and when youre trying to understand and comprehend how the person you looked up to, and taught you so much is responsible for such a horrible act, and people proceed to go out and blame you for what he did., He added, So here I am stationed in Alaska for military service wanting nothing more than to wake up and be back home hoping this is some sick twisted nightmare, instead Im all the way across the country. Maybe an average of 3. The response to Bianca's murder by the incel community served as a wake-up call for friends like Elizabeth and other young women in their online world who realized they too could be targets. I didn't know where Bianca was. But there was nothing they could do to stop what was going on online. Clarks attorney, a local public defender, has declined to comment. Bianca Devins. Her mother, Kim Devins, is campaigning to hold social media platforms accountable with. But the sickening murder video wasn't the only important piece of evidence investigators found on Clark's cell phone. PROSECUTOR MICHAEL NOLAN: You are making claims that Mr. Nebush did not do his job, but you don't know that correct? If she had just been able to get out of that car. By Jessica Schladebeck. Using a Bluetooth speaker, Clark had programmed his cell phone to play a particular song on repeat. Prosecutors tracked him down. BRANDON CLARK [in court]: I know that sorry is not enough, I know it won't take back what I did. Thank you for always being there for me. He screams dramatically into the camera, you know, "Bianca, why did you make me do this" like it's her fault. The body of Bianca Devins, 17, was found by police in the upstate New York town of Utica on Sunday morning local time. As the search continued, Bianca's friends suspected the photo circulating on Discord might be a hoax after learning it was Clark who posted the image. Responding officers placed Clark, who was armed with a knife, under arrest and found Bianca's body under a tarp. They attended a concert in the NYC area. Detective Coromato knew they had found Bianca. Theyre kids.. Family members and friends attend a candlelight vigil in memory of Bianca. Women should ignore the abuse, they say. After determining that the calls were originating on Poe St in City of Utica, officers were dispatched to that location. Put the knife down! Biancas smile brightened our lives. Alex MurdaughCalled 'Family Annihilator' by Prosecution in Murder Trial As concerned friends scrambled to work out if the photo was real, the suspect continued . Bianca Devins, 17, was murdered by a friend in Utica, N.Y. Direct messages from Bianca's Discord account reveal she had invited a new friend named Alex and was concerned Clark might get jealous. There doesnt appear to be any exact logic guiding the decision-making process, she says. Bianca Devins' alleged killer is a 21-year-old micro-influencer named Brandon Andrew Clark, . Bryan Coromato: We were fighting against time. On July 13, 2019, she was brutally murdered after attending a concert in New York City with 23-year-old Brandon Clark, who was reportedly a family friend. Disgusted. Bianca always wanted to help someone. Kim Devins: They stayed on Instagram and Facebook for at least a couple of weeks. I do not want false information being spread around., Utica Police told BuzzFeedNews, One of the other rumors were hearing is that there was a stalking incident. Kim Devins: My last memory of Bianca is her full of life, so excited. And goes about having a conversation with her. But amid the battle to preserve Bianca's memory, Kim says her family became victims of vicious online trolls who relentlessly sent them the horrific photos. Kim Devins: He found out that there were media and production companies interested in Bianca's story and he wanted to be able to tell his side. The . In response, some social media users led a grassroots effort to replace the death photos with messages of hope. Bianca Devins sister, Olivia Devins, confirmed on Instagram that Bianca was the victim of the Utica murder. It's redemption, right?". The corpse of Bianca Devins, a 17-year-old model whose murder Clark had documented on social media, was discovered nearby. I love you all., Clarks brother, James Ward, confirmed on Instagram that Brandon was the suspect in Devins death. Utica police have identified the victim as Bianca Devins, a 17-year old whose Instagram account had just over 70,000 followers by Monday afternoon. Someone had texted Bianca's family the horrific photo. That's what our job is. "Social media was a huge part of Bianca's life," says Kim Devins. Jericka Duncan: How do you want Bianca to be remembered? 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. Prosecutor Michael Nolan: As this case was going, one of the things we saw was that "May you never forget me." Following a botched suicide attempt, Clark was charged with second-degree murder. Every time the photo was removed another one would appear in its place, says reporter EJ Dickson. Steven Crimando: Bianca would be considered a Stacy. Overnight investigators had conducted a forensic analysis of Brandon Clark's cell phone and found something terrifying. He . The victim is Bianca Michelle Devins. Photo: @escty. Members of Discord then viewed the images and posts and contacted the Utica Police Department. Powered by. On Facebook, where Clark uses the name Brandon Kuwaliski, he wrote, Im ending it today. Kim Devins: She really could just escape her own mental struggles, what was going on in her head and escape into, you know, a different world online. It was our Boilermaker Road Race, which is a well-known 15K road race, where participants from across the world come to run. She was very intuitive and self-aware, so she always knew something was wrong and she knew she needed help. After Clark serves 25 years in prison, he could be eligible for parole; he will be in his late 40s. 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. This is real. They reportedly showed the dead body of 17-year-old Bianca Devins, who prosecutors say was murdered by a 21-year-old man named Brandon Andrew Clark. The photos were redistributed widely on online chat sites including 4chan and Discord, . Your prayers help to strengthen us through this difficult time. I have seen the pictures. And in that post, he says, "Here comes Hell. As the officer moved into position, Clark slashed himself with a knife. Clark was taken into police custody as he attempted to kill himself, according to the Utica Police Department. Bianca Devins, 17, of Utica, was killed early Sunday morning. BRYAN COROMATO [bodycam video to officers on scene]: The news has got this, so you better send someone to the mom's house to give her a head's up before . 8pm. Bianca Devins, 17, was killed after attending a concert in New York City (Bianca Devins) . Your daughter was a beautiful and amazing person.. One tweet that Russett says she flagged at 8:00 p.m. Monday night is still publicly available as of press time. Frank Williams: So, we looked at that as a start for a series of laws and policies that would prevent death photos like Bianca's from being put on social media. I hate knowing youre not going to ever come back home. Brandon Clark and Bianca Devins at Bianca's high school graduation party. He is accused of killing Bianca Devins, 17, who had 170,000 followers on Instagram, earlier this month. They were able to disarm the male, and after a brief struggle, they took him into custody. Clark, 21, also took selfies next to Devin's dead body and shared them online. A candlelight vigil has been planned for Monday night, July 15, in Utica to remember Bianca Devins and to celebrate her life, her family says. It's just not good enough for him. Investigators are looking into whether jealously led to the killing. Did you think it was sincere at all? While Clark originally pleaded not guilty to the murder . Det. On July 13, 2019, she was brutally murdered. The back seat is folded out so that its flat. His injuries were severe; however, he is expected to survive. Bianca Devins, 17, was murdered by a friend in Utica, N.Y. He takes his camera, and he clips it to almost one of those vents that would be on the front dash. mods, please don't link to the death photos. Elizabeth: You know, those same incel communities that were praising Brandon's actions were saying, oh, I wonder who's going to be next? A young woman active on social media was brutally murdered, with gruesome photos of her body posted to Instagram and other platforms. 26-Year-Old Woman Murdered During Her Lunch Break. Another one broke into Meg Turney/Gavin Frees home with a shotgun last year. The defense was considering an Extreme Emotional Disturbance defense, but authorities and Bianca's family were not buying it. Bianca Devins with her mom Kim after her high school graduation. 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. A very twisted need is being met by continuing to share these and trying to get these to Bianca's family. The man responsible for the gruesome death of Utica teenager Bianca Devins has been sentenced to 25 years-to-life in prison. In 2014, a 22-year-old self-identified incel went on a deadly rampage in Isla Vista, California, killing six people. 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. The 17. Jericka Duncan: When you found out that your daughter's images were on Twitter . Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier: The books are dark. They're of a lovely, beautiful girl whose life was taken from her in a cruel way. Prosecutor Sarah DeMellier [to Nolan]: I would just describe this list as the "to-do" list, the things he needs to do to carry out his plan and to stage the crime scene. 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. She worked as a model and was an e-girl, who frequently posted photos on Instagram and Tumblr about video games and anime. 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