UTICA, NEW YORK: Heartbreaking bodycam footage released recently shows the chilling moment Brandon Andrew Clark tried slitting his throat after murdering teen social media influencer Bianca Devins. Devins, 17, was brutally murdered by her male acquaintance, Clark, on July 14, 2019. The horrifying bodycam video is a portion of the recent documentary 'The Murder of Bianca Devins', which depicts the brutal murder and subsequent online uproar as Clark posted selfies that were clicked next to Devins' dead body. The documentary was set to air on ITVX.
Meanwhile, Clark was charged with second-degree murder. He subsequently pleaded guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The murder allegedly took place after Clark witnessed Devins kissing another man who she had met online.
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What was the content of the video?
When police reached the spot, they claim that it was a highly staged crime. Clark had spray-painted the words “MAY YOU NEVER FORGET ME” on the ground. Clarke also set a speaker to play an indie song on repeat. The knife he used to kill Devins had reportedly been hidden in his car the entire time. Clarke also moved her body onto the ground and then covered her with a green tarp, and spoke to family members on the phone, as per The Independent. Clark was apparently trying to kill himself in order to complete his sick murder-suicide plot when the police arrived.
Why was Bianca Devins killed?
Devins was killed by her friend Clarke. Clarke, who was 21 years old back then, allegedly witnessed Devins kissing another man, who was an online friend. Since Clarke was a trusted person in the family and her close friend, Devins took him along with her to be a chaperone. Though he planned for a suicide murder, things did not fall into place properly. He was captured shouting about killing himself in the bodycam footage taken after he called 911. Later, Clarke admitted to slitting Devins' throat. The duo allegedly argued about her interaction with the online friend which then led to the death of the young girl. Clark also posted selfies taken beside her dead body. However, the pictures of her dead body got shared across social media. In fact, her parents were made aware of her gruesome death only after they came across the tragic pictures on the Internet. Apparently, a friend forwarded it to Devins' mother.
What did Clarke tell in the 911 call?
Clarke told in the 911 call, “My name is Brandon, and the victim is Bianca Michelle Devins." “I’m not going to stay on the phone for long because I still need to do the suicide part of the murder-suicide.” New legislation was created by New York Governor Kathy Hochul that made it illegal to post or share graphic photographs online of victims who are being humiliated or abused as a result of the widespread sharing of Devins' dead body images.
What was the response of Bianca Devins' family?
Bianca's grandfather, Frank Williams, in 'The Murder of Bianca Devins,' said, "I remember the picture vividly, And there was no doubt in my mind at that point that it was Bianca. I came to terms quickly that Bianca had been murdered." Her mother, Kimberly Devins, said, "The enormity of the loss... that's hard to accept. I'm not the only one going through this; there are so many people that are being affected."
Meanwhile, the family had previously sued officials over spreading the video of the 17-year-old. Carrie Goldberg, Lawyer representing Devins, claimed back then, "This has been emotionally devastating and fatiguing. The family has not had a day of peace since Bianca died over two years ago." The lawsuit claimed, they "acted unconscionably and lawlessly" toward the victim with "reckless dissemination of evidence" to media producers seeking to cover the case, as per BBC. About the spreading of the images, Kimberly also said, “It was bad enough what we had to sit through in court, the details we had to hear,” as per Rolling Stone. “I can’t imagine sitting through a trial and having to go through that."
Kimberly added regarding the relationship with Clarke, "She knew he wanted more, but Bianca just thought he was OK with being friends, and he never seemed to make a big deal about it. He was very, very good at masking who he really was." “I was told [that] he really caught her off guard. She had no clue what was coming. She had no time to fight or defend herself, with no warning. I don’t think there’s anything Bianca could’ve said or done to prevent this at that moment. He clearly had this all planned out in his mind.”
Further, she said, “He literally videotaped taking my daughter’s last breaths, and it shows how premeditated it was as well. He’s portrayed for the monster he is, and he does not want people to see that.” She also said, “I guess I just had an immediate mother’s instinct of like, we need to fix this." She further added, “And my first thought is I need to protect my daughter’s dignity. She was being exploited all over the Internet after her death. And that just wasn’t okay with me… You know, we’re going through everyone’s absolute worst nightmare. The worst thing you can do is lose a child, especially to murder. And then to have the pictures of that all over the internet, people being harassed, we were being harassed…”
What was Clarke's response during the hearing?
During the hearing, he said, “I think I need to realize what I did I can’t undo, as much as I want to. I apologize to all the people that knew and loved her. I apologize to everybody affected by this, to everybody who had to see that horrific picture of her. I know sorry is not enough, and it won’t take back what I did. I wish I had more to give."
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