Bianca Devins death: Instagrammer, 17 'killed by man who posted a photo of her body online'

A US teenager was stabbed to death by a man she met on Instagram who then posted photos of her dead body online, police have said.

Bianca Devins, 17, from Utica, New York, was allegedly knifed violently in the neck by Brandon Clark, 21, who is being held on a second-degree murder charge.

Police said the pair met on Instagram around two months ago, before their relationship “progressed into a personally intimate one”.

They had gone to a concert together in New York on Saturday night where it is understood “some sort of argument ensued”, according to a statement from Utica police.

In the early hours of Sunday, Clark is alleged to have used a large knife to kill the 17-year-old, brutally stabbing her in the neck.

The 21-year-old then reportedly posted horrifying photos of the murder online, alongside a message reading: “I’m sorry Bianca.”

At around 7.20am, police said he then called 911 informing them of the crime.

When officers arrived on the scene in Poe St, Utica, Clark “began to stab himself in the neck with a knife” before revealing the location of Ms Devin’s body.

He was quickly rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. His injuries are described as “severe” but he is expected to survive.

Ms Devins’s family released a statement on Monday, praising the “wonderful young girl, taken from us all to soon.”

Their message read: “We are very grateful for the outpouring of love and sympathy we have received from our Friends, Family, Bianca’s Friends and the whole community. Your prayers help to strengthen us through this difficult time.

“Bianca, age 17, was a talented artist, a loving sister, daughter, and cousin, and a wonderful young girl, taken from us all too soon. She is now looking down on us, as she joins her cat, Belle, in heaven.

“Bianca’s smile brightened our lives. She will always be remembered as our Princess.”

The disturbing murder photos were redistributed widely on chat sites including 4chan and Discord, leading to a number of people reporting them to the authorities.

“We are actively working with the various social media platforms to address the sharing and distribution of these images,” Utica police confirmed.

A Facebook spokesperson told the Standard: “Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragic event. We are taking every measure to remove this content from our platforms.”