The New York man accused of killing Instagram star Bianca Devins wore a bulletproof vest in court on Monday as he pleaded not guilty to her murder.
Brandon Clark, 21, from Cicero, was arraigned on a second-degree murder charge in Oneida County Court related to the death of 17-year-old Devins, who he had been spending time with for at least two months.
Devins, known among her 170,000 Instagram followers as an e-girl who posted about emo fashion and video games, was murdered on July 14 after getting into an argument with Clark, who police say slit her throat in a fit of jealousy after she kissed another man at a concert in Queens.
The case drew horror nationwide after Clark, who tried to slice his own throat as police arrived on the scene, posted photos of Devin’s body on both Instagram and Discord, a chat app popular among teens.
After stabbing himself, Clark is said to have thrown himself on a tarp covering Devins’ body and proceeded to take selfies, the Washington Times reported.
Brandon Clark, 21, from Cicero, New York who is accused of killing Instagram star Bianca Devins (shown) wore a bulletproof vest in court on Monday (left) as he pleaded not guilty to her murder
Bianca Devins (left), who was known among her 170,000 Instagram followers as an e-girl, was murdered on July 14 after getting into an argument with Clark (right) , who police say slit her throat in a fit of jealousy after she kissed another man at a concert in Queens
Devins’ loved ones were present in the court room as Clark entered the not guilty plea, with many wearing pink and donning pins that said ‘Justice for Bianca,’
Relatives said that the teen had been set to attend Mohawk Valley Community College in the fall, and hoped to pursue a career in psychology.
Friends said Clark was a close family friend who was well known to Bianca, and not merely an ‘internet boyfriend’ she met on Instagram, as had been previously reported.
It’s not clear, however, whether the two were involved in a romantic relationship.
Police say the pair had been at a concert in New York City on a Saturday night and that they had driven back to Utica later.
They were in Clark’s SUV for several hours. According to internet chatrooms and comments Bianca made to friends in her final hours, they smoked marijuana together in the car.
Earlier in the night, another young man was with them. One of Bianca’s friends told Rolling Stone on July 16 that Clark had become jealous because he thought she was flirting with the other male.
Messages Bianca sent from the concert indicated that Clark saw her kissing another man, and became jealous.
Utica Police Lieutenant Bryan Coromato said they received a call on the morning of July 14 that led them to the crime scene.
‘We got a call from one of the parents that was concerned about some things that were occurring in the relationship at this point,’ he said.
Clark posted a photo of her body with the caption ‘I’m sorry Bianca’ to Instagram, which has been criticized for failing to remove it for almost a day.
He had also scrawled ‘May you never forget me’ on the road next to them.
He also allegedly posted a photo on Discord, with the caption ‘Sorry f**kers, you’re gonna have to find someone else to orbit.’
Orbit refers to the internet slang term ‘beta orbiters,’ supposedly low-value men who cling to the social media accounts of e-girls in vain hope of reciprocated interest.
Friends say that Bianca, who posted about emo fashion and video games, and her family knew Clark well, but it is unclear whether they were dating or just friends
After photos of her body emerged online, numerous people called 911 to report it. Police were already trying to find the pair when he called himself.
Police arrived at the scene on the morning of July 14 to find Clark lying on the ground beside a black SUV.
When the officer approached, he began to stab himself in the neck with a knife.
The officer requested emergency medical care as Clark then laid himself across a green tarp that was on the ground, said to have been covering Devins’ body, and proceeded to take selfies.
He was subsequently taken to a hospital for emergency surgery, with his injuries described as ‘severe’ but not life-threatening.
As required, a plea deal was offered to Clark on Monday for the maximum possible sentence, which is 25 years to life, WKTV reported.
Clark rejected that option by entering his plea of not guilty. He was indicted last week by an Oneida County Grand Jury.
Clark is being held without bail. The next court date is set for September 16.
The investigation is still on going, according to Clark’s attorney, Luke Nebush.
Clark (shown in court on Monday), who tried to slice his own throat as police arrived on the scene, is said to have posted photos of Devin’s body on both Instagram and Discord, a chat app popular among teens. A plea deal was offered to Clark on Monday for the maximum possible sentence, which is 25 years to life. Clark is being held without bail. The next court date is set for September 16. The investigation is still on going, Clark’s attorney Luke Nebush said