Bianca Devins was an anime-obsessed teenager with a small following who found purpose as a mental health advocate, but she soon became the target of online attacks. Later, his murder went viral.
New episode of Investigation Discovery’s program Deadly Impact: Social Media MurdersAiring Monday, June 17 at 9pm ET on ID (streaming on Max), it looks at the Instagram star’s very public murder and the trauma her family endured from seeing “sick people” turn her death into a social media “spectacle.”
Her mother, Kimberly Devins, speaks in the episode RIP Bianca She described the “devastating” pain she felt for not being able to protect her daughter from her killer and even from the internet after his death.
Bianca, 17, of Utica, New York, was killed in July 2019. But the fear did not end there.
Brandon Clark, whom he met on Instagram, slit his throat and then posted bloody photos of Bianca with her body on the online chat service Discord and on his own Instagram page.
He allegedly wrote alongside the photos: “Sorry assholes, you’ll have to find someone else to orbit.” When the police arrived, he cut his own throat and took a selfie.
But Clark survived, and a group of incels — the name given to men who are “involuntarily celibate” and known for promoting sexist anti-female content — rallied around him, calling him a “legend” and a “hero” who “made it real.” “A favor to the world” in online comments as they branded Bianca “trashy” and “disgusting”.
Clark was later sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison. But the horror of what happened to Bianca continues to haunt her family.
“People posted the picture [of her dead body] They would post it under my Facebook profile picture. [Bianca’s sister] Olivia and I all the time,” Bianca’s mother said in the documentary.
“They were going to tag us. I felt like as soon as one photo was taken down another was posted. As a mother, this was devastating because I felt like I couldn’t protect her from this. “I couldn’t protect her from murder, and I couldn’t protect her from being exploited online.”
“At first, people who saw the post were incredibly disturbed. But when Brandon survived this suicide attempt, the incel community came forward and presented themselves in a way to celebrate Brandon,” true crime podcaster Kelly Ruhl says in this episode.
Bianca’s loved ones say her social media accounts became a spectacle and to this day people leave horrifying comments on her accounts.
In an interview conducted in March 2023 IndependentMs Devins said she had been dealing with sensational images of her daughter’s murder for years.
“It’s just, you know, I never feel like I can let my guard down,” he said at the time. “I am constantly alert on social media. I never know when [those pictures] will load… It’s like you’re re-traumatized every time you have to see this. So this is my 17 year old daughter. We should see it that way. “No one should have to look at this all the time.”
Now, almost five years after Bianca’s murder, the identity chapter is investigating the disturbing truth of how some people use social media and online forums to threaten, harass and even plan violent attacks.
While Bianca’s passion for helping others has attracted a large following on social media, it has also made her a target for those who seek to do harm.
Gianna Rosado, one of Bianca’s friends, explains in the documentary how her friend was targeted and how her murder was displayed for all to see.
“I could still see it in my head, it had just been revealed,” Rosado said. “All these sick people can take care of him whenever they want.”
According to the documentary, even five years later there are still “people spamming comments” who send both “negative” and supportive messages to her posts.
“If we were to go there right now, the last comment would be two hours ago, and that’s crazy to me,” Gianna said.
Bianca’s mother has been campaigning for years to hold social media platforms accountable. In 2022, Bianca’s Law was signed by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
“This constitutes the crime of unlawful dissemination of personal images, particularly crime scene photographs,” Devins said. New York Post.
“In New York state, it is illegal to upload and distribute sensational personal photographs or crime scene images. But I still advocate for it because we need to expand it into federal law. It’s too narrow right now to limit it to New York. “The only way to hold social media companies and Big Tech companies accountable is to create federal law.”
“I never felt like justice was served until this law was signed because her murderer going to prison is not going to bring her back,” he added. “It doesn’t undo all the trauma we’ve been through. But I feel like we finally got some justice for Bianca. “His name will prevent other families from experiencing what we experienced.”
Bianca’s story is one of six episodes of Investigation Discovery’s new series examining the foundations of social media, exploring the dark reality of toxic online communities and showcasing the devastating risks associated with viral social media fame.
RIP Bianca premieres on ID & Streaming on Max on Monday, June 17 at 9/8c.