The suspect in the murder of 17-year-old Bianca Devins appeared in an upstate New York courtroom and entered a not guilty plea on Monday. Brandon Clark, 21, is charged with second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing, after posting gruesome images of Devins’ body on social media.
According to Utica police, Clark allegedly stabbed Bianca to death in the early morning of July 14, after they attended a concert together in New York City, then uploaded graphic photos of Bianca with her neck slashed to Instagram, 4chan, and gaming chat platform Discord. Clark reportedly stabbed himself in the neck when officers arrived at the crime scene after receiving 911 calls from people who saw the social media posts. Police confirmed to Refinery29 that the images that spread were real.
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In a grim reflection on our culture, some on social media shared the gory images in an effort to gain followers and clout, as well as made misogynistic memes celebrating the teen’s death. Social media platforms were criticized for not taking down the images fast enough, and Bianca’s friends and family urged people to stop sharing the photos.
“Instead of repeatedly sharing and saving these sick pictures, you report them so they can be taken down. And instead you post about what a beautiful young woman she was,” Bianca’s stepmother Kaleigh Nicole Rimmer pleaded in a Facebook post.
Investigators believe Clark was jealous and angry after Bianca reportedly kissed someone else. "We have reason to believe an incident occurred either at the concert they attended or before it where she kissed somebody else and he was upset about that,'' District Attorney Scott McNamara told Syracuse.com. Refinery29 has reached out to Utica police for an update on the investigation.
Rumors and theories circulated online after the images of Bianca’s body went viral that Clark was an incel and a stalker, which Utica police disputed, saying the two met on Instagram a couple months before. "They were definitely in an intimate relationship, and he referred to her as his girlfriend," Lt. Bryan Coromato told Refinery29. Coromato said investigators spoke with the victim’s mother, who confirmed the two had been hanging out.
The family held a wake and funeral for Bianca earlier this month. According to her obituary, Bianca had recently graduated from high school and wanted to pursue a career helping other young people dealing with mental illness. Her family created a scholarship fund in her name for students pursuing degrees in psychology.
Clark is being held without bail and will return to court on September 16. The court decision is scheduled for September 23.
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