Who was Bianca Devins? (2024)

TRAGEDY struck Utica, New York, back in July 2019 after gruesome pictures showing the bloodied body of teen Instagram influencer, Bianca Devins, started circulating the internet.

In January 2022, the New York State Assembly passed Bianca's Law, in honor of the life that was taken too soon.

Who was Bianca Devins?

Bianca Devins was a 17-year-old Proctor High School graduate and social media influencer whose Instagram account had more than 70,000 followers.

On July 13, 2019, she was brutally murdered after attending a concert in New York City with 23-year-old Brandon Clark, who was reportedly a family friend.

The high school graduate was killed by Clark who then posted photos of her corpse online early Sunday morning, police said.

Grisly pictures of her body - including images of her slit throat - were redistributed widely, with some posters cruelly making light or celebrating her brutal death.

Others urged people to stop circulating the images, which had appeared via online chat sites and alerted the police.

Officers were trying to find the teen when then 21-year-oldClark called 911 himself to report what he'd done, Utica's public safety department said in a statement.

Clark was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He then pleaded guility in February 2020 and was sentenced to 25 years in jail the following year.

Devins' family said in a written statement that the teen was "a talented artist, a loving sister, daughter, and cousin, and a wonderful young girl, taken from us all too soon.

"Bianca's smile brightened our lives. She will always be remembered as our Princess."

She was also reportedly popular on TikTok, according to police.

What is Bianca's Law?

Following Devins' passing, local lawmakers proposed Brianca's Law, in an attempt to prevent the circulation of the kinds of gruesome images that were shared after her murder.

On January 19, 2022, Bianca's Law was then passed by the New York State Assembly, sending it to Senate for a vote.

“Nearly three years ago, the life of 17-year-old Bianca Devins was cut short in a senseless act of violence,” Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon said.

“Her tragic death was exploited for likes and follows after her attacker posted pictures of her body to various social media sites. Nobody should ever have to endure a trauma like this. Bianca and her family deserve peace, and this legislation would ensure that those who share images online to degrade or humiliate others will be held accountable for their actions.”

Bianca's Law will reportedly make it "illegal to post, share or publish personal images with the intent to degrade or abuse someone who has been the victim of a crime, while also causing emotional, financial or physical harm to the victim or their family," according to WKTV.

How did Instagram react to Bianca Devins' death?

After pictures of Devins started circulating, Instagram deactivated Clark's account - a day after it started receiving complaints.

Images of the victim's body were reported to have appeared on Instagram hidden behind a sensitive content filter but would become visible to those wanting to see it.

Police said that a photo of the teen's bloodied body was posted to Clark's account early on Sunday morning with the caption "I'm sorry Bianca."

The social network giant said it had taken steps to prevent further sharing and re-posting of the images by searching for and removing accounts trying to share content linked to Devins' murder, as well as anyone attempting to impersonate the suspect.

"Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event. We are taking every measure to remove this content from our platforms," the firm said in a statement.

But, in the UK, Damian Collins - chairman of a committee that has led inquiries into the policing of illegal content - accused social platforms of failing to take violent content seriously.

Facebook and YouTube have also been criticized, for example, for failing to quickly delete graphic and live-streamed footage of the New Zealand mosques massacre.

"Another brutal murder has gone viral. When will social networks take violence seriously?" Collins wrote on Twitter.

When does Bianca's episode on CBS' 48 Hours air?

On Saturday, August 13, 2022, Bianca's death case will be explored on 48 Hours at 10/9pm central time.

CBS News national correspondent, Jericka Duncan, will report on The Online Life and Death of Bianca Devins.

The episode will air on CBS and be available for streaming on Paramount+.