Bianca Devins death film, broadcast online livestream the killing
In the murder of Bianca Devins, which was shared online with the world, more shocking information emerge.
This week, authorities announced that Brandon Clark, who pleaded guilty to murdering 17-year-old Bianca Devins this week, carefully plotted her death and methods of livestreaming the murder to the world.
On July 13, 2019, in Utica, a few months before Clark murdered Devins, he investigated online methods of murdering someone, Oneida County Assistant District Attorney Sarah DeMellier said.
He also videotaped the killing so that, police said, he could replay it later.
Some of the new specifics were announced this week while Clark was in Oneida County Court. 22, with Cicero pleading guilty. Some are from Clark's facts and claims.
After the two attended a New York City concert, Clark confessed to slitting Devins' throat and murdering her in Utica. On social media networks, he then shared pictures of her bloody body. He cut his own throat, too, and then shared a selfie of his own corpse.
DeMellier shared more information about what Clark heard from police and prosecutors and other facts about the grisly murder that became an internet sensation and made worldwide headlines.
From May to July 2019, Clark looked for knowledge online on how to kill or incapacitate others. In particular, he looked up, along with choking and hanging, details about the carotid artery (a major blood vessel in the neck).
He looked online for Devins, too, and took screenshots of their discussions.
Devins and Clark attended a concert in New York City on July 12, where she was hoping to meet someone else, a man called Alex. Clark realized that she was meeting Alex. At the concert, Alex and Bianca kissed, and Clark was not pleased about that.
Clark showed indications that he was planning the assassination, authorities said.
Prior to the concert, which he used after the murder to spray paint a suicide-related note from a Japanese manga, he put spray paint in his car, the ADA said. (Manga is a comic or graphic novel published in or using the Japanese language in Japan.)
He also had the knife and equipment to film the killing on camera.
Devins and Clark addressed the kiss in the car after the concert, and Devins made it clear that she and Clark were just friends and they weren't dating, DeMellier said. Clark said he told Devins that she was exploiting him, said DeMellier.
Clark set up a camera on the dashboard as Devins went to sleep in the rear seat. Then Devins woke up, hiding the knife beside him.
She didn't see it coming," said DeMellier. "She had no idea about it.
The video reveals that Clark then continued to "see the throat of Bianca," the ADA said. It's not like he's on TV, he's got to get through his muscles. He documented it all, and he recorded what felt like her last breaths, too.
While Clark did not post the video on social media, he told investigators that he did so so that he could replay it and watch it on his own.
He photographed the body of Devins and uploaded pictures to Discord, an online forum for texts, images and video sharing. For some time, those pictures stayed, and were also sent to family members. The images were shared by some people on different social media sites.
Clark learned how to live-stream the killing, but eventually did not broadcast it online.
After Devins was killed by Clark, he left her body in the car's backseat and created a bonfire.
After some time, while playing the song "Test Drive" by Joji, a Japanese singer, rapper and former Internet celebrity, he set the body on a tarp. A failing relationship is portrayed in the song, as the singer looks for something long-term, while the girl is not as invested.
He made some calls at some point to inform relatives he had killed Devins. He left a voicemail for his grandmother. In Alaska, he tried calling his brother. He named a mentor/father figure and his aunt. All called 911.
He slit his own throat as police arrived, and took a selfie. Her office claims DeMellier attempted to commit suicide, DeMellier said.
DeMellier said she is glad Clark pleaded guilty, preventing a trial, along with both families. It would have been disturbing for everyone, including the jurors, to see the video of Devins' murder, she said.
Clark will be sentenced to a prison term of 25 years on April 6. After 25 years, he will be eligible for parole, but the family and the office of the DA will be prepared to make comments against his release, DeMellier said.