Bianca Devins was a bright young woman with a promising future ahead of her before her life was tragically cut short in 2019. The 17-year-old from Utica, New York, had dreams of studying psychology at Mohawk Valley Community College but was brutally murdered by Brandon Andrew Clark.
Clark, a 21-year-old acquaintance, met Devins on Instagram and their relationship quickly took a dark turn. Despite Devins clearly stating that she did not want to date him, Clark continued to pursue her, providing her with drugs to entice her to spend time with him.
The fateful night of July 13, 2019, ended in horror when an argument between Devins, Clark, and a mutual friend named Alex escalated into violence. Clark, armed with a knife, viciously attacked Devins, ultimately leading to her untimely death in the early hours of July 14.
After committing the heinous act, Clark phoned family members in what appeared to be a suicide note before uploading gruesome photos of Devins’ body to a Discord server. The shocking images went viral, sparking a conversation about online communities and accountability.
Following years of campaigning by Devins’ mother, Kim, to hold social media platforms responsible for such content, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Bianca’s Law in 2022. The law aims to combat the dissemination of graphic personal photos, particularly crime scene images, making it illegal in the state of New York.
While Clark initially pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, he later changed his plea to guilty before being sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Despite expressing remorse for his actions, the devastating impact of Bianca Devins’s murder continues to resonate, serving as a somber reminder of the dangers of unchecked online behavior.
