Murder of Bianca Devins

Bianca Michelle Devins (born October 2, 2001) was a 17-year-old from Utica, New York, who intended to study psychology at Mohawk Valley Community College. She had experienced depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, and had received mental health treatment for much of her teen years. She found community online and, according to a Syracuse newspaper, had dealt with online harassment for at least two years, though police said they found no ties between the incel movement and her killing.

Devins met Brandon Andrew Clark (born October 6, 1997) on Instagram in April 2019 after he began following her. Police described the relationship as "personally intimate," but Devins had told her mother she did not want to date Clark, and friends and family gave differing accounts of the relationship's nature, with one friend fearing Clark was exploiting Devins sexually while supplying her with drugs.

On July 13, 2019, Devins, Clark, and a mutual friend attended a concert in New York City. Clark and Devins then drove back to Utica, where an argument broke out, reportedly related to a kiss between Devins and the mutual friend. After Devins fell asleep in the back seat, Clark attacked her with a concealed knife, cutting her neck. Devins died in the early hours of July 14, 2019. Clark subsequently called family members in a manner resembling a suicide note, prompting a 9-1-1 call, and posted photographs of Devins's body to Discord with a caption referencing "orbiting." When police arrived, Clark stabbed himself in the neck but survived. He was charged with second-degree murder the following day. Investigators noted Clark had brought a knife and recording equipment and had made prior online searches related to incapacitating or killing a person, raising the possibility the killing was planned.

Images of Devins's body spread widely across platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, 4chan, Incels.co, and 8chan, drawing both celebratory and sympathetic reactions and prompting criticism of social media companies' moderation practices. Instagram and Facebook removed Clark's account and attempted to curb the spread of the images, but critics, including Devins's family, said the material remained accessible for an extended period.

Clark initially pleaded not guilty on July 29, 2019, and was later charged with promoting prison contraband after a shiv was found in his cell. On February 10, 2020, he changed his plea to guilty. Sentencing was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Clark unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw his guilty plea in mid-2020. On March 16, 2021, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

The case prompted advocacy for "Bianca's Law" in New York, which addresses the sharing of victim images online with intent to degrade, abuse, or harass; a version of the law was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul at the end of December 2022. In July 2021, Devins's family sued the Oneida County District Attorney's Office over the alleged distribution of sensitive images and footage related to Devins's death.