Murder of Bianca Devins
Bianca Michelle Devins (October 2, 2001 – July 14, 2019) was a teenager from Utica, New York, who was stabbed to death on July 14, 2019, admittedly by Brandon Andrew Clark, after attending a Nicole Dollanganger concert. At the concert Devins kissed another male which upset Clark and allegedly served as the basis for him attacking and killing her, leaving her in a wooded area. Following Devins' death, he called 911 and her family, telling the former he killed Devins, and subsequently attempted suicide. He lived and was charged with second-degree murder the following day.
Bianca Devins | |
---|---|
Born | Bianca Michelle Devins October 2, 2001 Utica, New York, U.S. |
Died | July 14, 2019 17) Utica, New York, U.S. | (aged
Cause of death | Murder; stab wounds |
Known for | Murder victim |
Clark and Devins were friends before the incident. At times, Clark described himself as her boyfriend and reportedly "wanted more" from their friendship. There were conflicting reports of the nature of their friendship. Some called him a close family friend, while others feared he was exploiting Devins. Clark was often described on social media as a lonely stalker, obsessed with Devins. He pleaded guilty to the murder on February 10, 2020, and is facing 25 years to life in prison.
International mainstream news outlets reported on the case; initial reports were marred by misinformation. Clark took photos of her corpse which he uploaded to the internet where they were shared widely, sparking both mockery and sympathy. The initial response on social media was similarly misinformed. The response by social media companies was subject to criticism. Legislation inspired by Devins' murder was introduced. Commentators have discussed the unique nature of the crime and its relation to the structure of social media.
Background
Relationship prior to the murder
It is believed that Bianca Michelle Devins[1] and Brandon Andrew Clark (October 6, 1997),[2][3] met on Instagram in April 2019 and kept in communication through the platform.[4][5] They later met in person, with Clark attending her high school graduation party. They were on friendly terms, although Devins was aware Clark "wanted more".[6] At times, he referred to himself as Devins' boyfriend despite her saying otherwise.[1][lower-alpha 1] Described as a "close and trusted family friend" by one of her sisters, the exact nature of Clark and Devins' relationship was a topic she and her mother, Kim Devins, had discussed previously.[6][8] Police described their relationship as a "personally intimate one" while friends and family claim they were not romantically involved.[9][10]
Investigations into Clark's internet history suggested the possibility he was obsessed with Devins. He searched her name and frequently checked her social media platforms and saved photos of her. He repeatedly sent annoying messages to her. There is no evidence Clark was abusive, although one of Devins' sisters alleged that because of his age - Clark was 21, Devins was 17, his gender and "his outright inclination towards violence", he held power over Devins.[1][6][11] One of Devins' friends suggested he may have taken advantage of her sexually while they were high on drugs, which her friends said Clark would give her sometimes so she would spend time with him.[8]
Devins and Clark's biographies
Clark grew up in an unstable household where his father repeatedly abused his mother. When Clark was ten years old, his father held his mother at knifepoint for several hours leading to him being placed in state foster care. When she met him, Bianca's mother described him as "charming" and "polite". Conversely, a childhood friend described him as obsessive, noting his fixations with Pokemon and lolicon.[1]
Devins graduated from high school in February 2019 and, at the time of her death, was enrolled at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica to study psychology.[1][12] She struggled with mental illness, in the form of depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.[13] Her isolation, a result of her mental illness, led in her seeking refuge in online communities, such as those on Discord and 4chan.[4][14] Devins relationship with her father was strained, and her mother referred to him as "emotionally abusive". From 2015 onward, he had little contact with Devins. Her friends often expressed concern for her mental state. She once confided to a mental-health counselor she had fantasized about injuring herself by jumping off a roof.[1] According to The Post-Standard, a Syracuse newspaper, Devins had been dealing with online harassment by incels for at least two years.[15]
Murder
On July 13, 2019, Devins and Clark traveled to New York City for the night to see a performance by Nicole Dollanganger. They met a male friend named Alex,[14] and smoked cannabis in the vehicle which belonged to Clark. Clark witnessed Devins kiss Alex at the show, which angered Clark as a result.[16] Later, Devins eventually fell asleep in the back of his car, Clark then woke her to discuss her kissing Alex. Devins apologized but said they were not in a monogamous relationship.[lower-alpha 2] Clark, unsatisfied with her response, allegedly began assaulting her and eventually repeatedly sliced her neck with a long knife hidden by his seat, killing her on a deserted, wooded, dead-end road.[5][6][17] Clark allegedly left her body in the car and built a bonfire.[18]
After Devins' death, Clark called numerous family members, in a manner akin to a suicide note, prompting his family to call 911.[18] He took photographs of Devins' bloodied body, and posted them to a Discord server.[4] They were accompanied by a caption that said: "sorry fuckers, you’re going to have to find somebody else to orbit".[19] By 7:20 am, police, who had been made aware of the murder by users on Discord, had received "numerous" calls, including one from Clark.[4][5][lower-alpha 3] They had also by this time made contact with Devin's family.[21] Clark reportedly told the dispatcher, "I killed my girlfriend."[14]
When police arrived at a wooded area in Poe Street, Utica—Devin's and Clark's location[22]—Clark stabbed himself in the neck, all while posting more photos online; his suicide attempt was unsuccessful, and he was taken to hospital.[4] Immediately following his attempt, he reportedly laid down across a green tarp which was concealing Devins' body.[23] When police arrived, Devins was dead and nearly decapitated.[24] Clark reportedly spray painted a suicide note and a message was found nearby reading: "May you never forget me".[18][25] The police had confirmed the victim was Devins and charged Clark with second-degree murder by the next day.[23]
According to authorities, there is ample evidence that the murder was premeditated with knives, rope, and multiple tools found at the scene of her murder. Investigator Peter Paladino believes Clark committed the murder to differentiate himself from the other "beta orbiters". Paladino also thinks the attack was premeditated.[1] Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Sarah DeMellier claimed Clark has told "different people in his life different reasons why he did what he did".[26]
Reaction
Local
A vigil for Devins was held on July 15 and her funeral took place on July 19.[4][27] On February 14, 2020, a fashion and art show displaying her work was held.[28] Utica City School District Superintendent Bruce Karamm released a statement calling Devin's death "tragic and untimely", expressed his "deepest heartfelt condolences with her family and loved ones" and announced counseling sessions for students that week.[22] The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium was lit up in honour of Devins.[29] Frank Williams, Devins’ grandfather, thanked the Utica community for their support.[30]
Social media
The images of Devins' became widely shared on social media such as Instagram and Twitter.[31] In response, Instagram and Facebook removed Clark's account and attempted to stop the photos' spread.[2][19] Facebook added images of the murder to a digital fingerprint database to prevent further distribution and blacklisted the hashtag #yesjuliet, while the Discord server that shared the corpse photo was shut down.[2] Dr. James Densley, a professor of criminal justice in Minnesota, said that the images could cause trauma in those who viewed them.[4] Devins' family learned of her death through the images being sent to them. Her stepfather—who suffered the most harassment—reported having flashbacks.[13][14]
After their initial posting, the photos gained traction on the website 4chan with hundreds of posts where users praised Clark for committing "another 4chan murder".[4][32] Devins previous use of 4chan and "e-girl" image became a source of mockery for 4chan users.[31] Users on Incel.co and 8chan also celebrated the murder.[29][33] Clark shot a video before and during Devins' murder. There were false claims he uploaded it to the internet in the hours following her death.[34]
The initial online discovery was clouded by misinformation,[4] including tweets from prominent Twitter users—one of which was shared over 16,000 times—falsely identifying Clark as an incel.[32][lower-alpha 4] Rumors spread saying that Clark had stalked her and that Devins was asexual. Her family debunked the rumor she was addicted to hard drugs which she supported by selling nudes.[1][19][35][lower-alpha 5] Theories that Devins' death resulted from internet harassment and speculation over Clark's motives and their relationship were posted.[24][32][37] YouTube videos and Twitter and Reddit threads dedicated to explaining the crime and Devins' history also appeared.[17] Managing editor of Human Events, Ian Miles Cheong, reported on the murder and posted screenshots of text message Clark allegedly sent to Devins.[38]
Clark was often portrayed as Devin's lonely, obsessed stalker, who tracked her down at a concert and then killed her after she declined his sexual advances.[16] #RIPBianca was used to express support, and to discuss the murder's relation to similar stories and women's fear of rejecting men. A hashtag of her name was used to combat the photos of her being shared.[11][16][39] #RIPBianca briefly trended on Twitter.[4] Accounts promising to post images of Devins’ murder in exchange for likes and follows, and illegitimate fund-raising sites sprang up to capitalize on her name and death.[39]
Law enforcement, Nicole Dollanganger and Devin's stepmother, Kaleigh Nicole Rimmer,[8] asked that people stop sharing the photos.[31][17] Users who attempted to report them on Instagram found that they often evaded detection and sometimes were not considered violations of community guidelines, although a spokesperson for Instagram refuted this. Instagram's and other sites' slow response to the photos virality was strongly criticized.[31] It was reported that some images stayed on Instagram for as long as four days and Kim claimed that by September the images could still found on Facebook.[8][13] Prosecutors in the trial, claimed that the images could still be found months later.[40] Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, whose research focuses on digital forensics and image analysis, claimed that Instagram and other companies had the tools to deal with the spread and that their inaction bordered on the criminal, despite a strictly legal perspective saying otherwise.[13]
News reports and commentary
By July 15, the story had reached the mainstream and was subsequently reported around the world.[4][18] Initial reports of Devins' murder falsely described her as an "Instagram celebrity", despite having only 2,000 followers. She did, however, have a reputation on 4chan's /r9k/ board.[1][lower-alpha 6] Clark was similarly falsely described. Reports regarding Clark's motive were conflicted and misconceptions like Devins being decapitated were also reported.[11][35] Many media outlets used the murder to decry the dangers of meeting people online, a narrative which Kim strongly criticized.[1]
Elizabeth Doran of Syracuse noted the case was more closely related to "the well-worn story...of abusive male partners".[14] Melissa Jeltsen of HuffPost recalled that in the immediate aftermath of Devins' death, "Everyone wanted [it] to mean something."[8] Queenie Wong of CNET described the murder and the subsequent events as "the latest example of the challenge social networks face in combating violent images and videos on their platforms". Densley said the images exposed the "weird incentive structures" in modern social media and lamented how Devins lives in "sort of perpetual infamy online every time her image is shared".[4] The internet's connection in the murder has been noted by many.[29]
The crime has been discussed as a case of domestic violence against women caused by toxic masculinity.[8][33] Hope not Hate said that her death was a "reminder that “fringe” online misogyny is not an isolated, distant phenomenon."[29] Cindy Southworth, executive vice president at the U.S. National Network to End Domestic Violence saw misogyny as a factor in Devins' killing.[37] Evelyn Douek of Harvard University drew parallels between the sharing of photos of Devins to the sharing of videos related to the Christchurch shooting, although she acknowledged that Devins' murder was different because it attracted far less media and public attention.[41] Others have drawn similar conclusions with it being noted that before men repeated the meme 'subscribe to Pewdiepie' following the events.[5][39]
Clark's actions following Devins' death have been interpreted as a demonstration of control.[6][8][33] Utica Police Sgt. Michael Curley believed Clark desired to "generate attention and generate fame for himself".[33] LeMoyne Director of Criminology Alison Marganski said that Clark's behavior fits the profile of other violent male offenders and speculated that he felt emasculated and wanted to show his strength.[42]
Aftermath
Clark pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder on July 29.[12] In December, while at Oneida County Correctional Facility, officials charged him with promoting prison contraband after corrections officers found a shiv constructed out of a sharpened toothbrush in his cell. On February 10, 2020, before his trial, the accused changed his plea to guilty, facing potentially 25 years to life in prison. Devins' family expressed relief at his decision.[26] Four days later, the video Clark took of Devins was announced publicly against his wishes. The video's existence significantly affected Clark's claims of blacking out and forgetting details of her death.[6] His sentencing was scheduled for April 7 but was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[26][43]
On June 2, he filed a notice to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming his lawyer had failed him,[43] but the judge denied Clark's request stating that, "Clark had earlier expressed satisfaction with his legal representation and had freely admitted, during his plea allocution, that he committed the murder."[44] His hearing took place on September 30, and a written decision was drawn up on October 30.[45][46] He was to be sentenced on December 8 but this was adjourned.[47]
His mother, who criticized the prosecution for portraying him as a "manipulative monster", believed that his internet history, which included searches on how to find the carotid artery, how to incapacitate or kill someone and general searches for choking and hanging was related to plans to commit suicide instead of being related to a plot to commit murder.[6][18] He has formally expressed remorse for his actions.[10]
Kim Devins alongside Anthony Brindisi have called for increased monitoring of social media such as Instagram. In response, Instagram allowed users to block private messages from strangers.[6] They also promised to share results of an audit, requested by Brindisi, to Kim in August 2019, although by December, Kim had yet to receive the results.[13] Brindisi has contacted the Federal Trade Commission and requested they investigate the case for full accountability.[48]
On September 21, 2020, Brindisi and Devins' family introduced "Bianca's law". The proposed legislation would require all social media platforms with more than $10 million in revenue and over 100,000 monthly users to establish an office dedicated to identifying and removing violent content that violates the platform's moderation standards.[45] Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon, and Senator Joseph Griffo, introduced a law which would create criminal and civil penalties for spreading an image of a crime victim with the intent of glorification or harassment.[49] Devins also started a scholarship in Bianca's name for students pursuing psychology degrees.[6]
Notes
- Some sources reported them to be dating and in a sexual relationship.[5][7]
- Lt. Bryan Coromato of the Utica, New York, police department, described this moment as Devins "making it clear they’re not together".[6]
- The first call received was from Tennessee.[20]
- Police said they are unaware of ties between the "Incel" movement and Devins' murder,[15] although at the time he met Devins, Clark was an admin of a Facebook group related to inceldom.[11]
- According to PinkNews Devins identified as biromantic, asexual.[36]
- By July 15, her follower count had risen by 75,000.[39]
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