Utica social media star's murder shared on subculture forums where she gained fame

UTICA N.Y. — The social media aspect of an already gruesome murder in Utica has catapulted the news of a 17-year-old’s death into national and international headlines.

Utica police say Brandon Andrew Clark, 21, from Bridgeport in Cicero, has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of Bianca Devins, a 17-year-old social media star from Utica.

Devins was part of a social media world unknown to many mainstream users. This is not Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, though she has amassed tens of thousands of followers on the photo-sharing site.

For someone who was well known on these platforms, even her death was shared on social media.

Investigators say Clark slashed Devins’ neck and posted photos of her dead body online. He stabbed himself, police said, and took selfies of himself lying across the body.

Devins was a frequent posted on 4Chan. It’s an online imageboard where you can post anonymously. The site has been linked to several internet subcultures including the Alt-Right and other extremely conservative groups.

The teenager, known as an "egirl," also posted to an app called Discord. It allows video gamers to communicate outside of whatever medium they are using to play the game whether it’s an Xbox or Playstation.

Discord allows users to send texts, photos, and videos along with video and audio messages.

Utica police say this is where Clark posted photos of Devins' body, then other users alerted police.

After a deep dive into these sites, it appears Devins' "look" in the photos she posted made her popular, representing what’s known as "fembot" culture.

The term derives from science fiction, as simply a "robot that resembles a woman's appearance."

Several of the photos from her online presence show her not smiling, In fact, showing almost no emotion.

Rolling Stone's report on the crime says when the accused killer posted on the Discord app, he wrote that people would have to find someone else to orbit.

"Orbiters," in this social media world are those who "orbit" a social media account in hopes of one day beginning an intimate relationship from their online communication.

Police say Clark and Devins allegedly met on Instagram and had been romantically involved for roughly two months. They spent time together and had both met each other's families.

The two met on Saturday to head to a concert in New York City, according to investigators. They believe an argument at the concert escalated to Clark killing Devins with a large, black knife on Sunday when they arrived back in Utica.

The graphic photos of Devins' body are still being shared and circulated across social media platforms.

Many have been taken down, but police are asking anyone that sees the pictures to report them.