Inset Left: Devon Blair appears in a booking photo (Franklin County Jail); Inset left: Brooke Devinney appears in a photo (GoFundMe); Main image: the Columbus, Ohio house where she was allegedly beaten to death by the defendant in June 2024 (Columbus Division of Police via WSYX)
An Ohio man demanded bond so he could get out of jail during his arraignment on a murder charge this week. While the bond request was granted, he likely won’t see the other side of a cell anytime soon.
Devon Blair, 23, stands accused of murder, two counts of assault, and one count each of domestic violence by assault, aggravated menacing, and domestic violence threats, according to Franklin County Jail records. He is also being held for an apparent violation of his sentence related to a prior domestic violence conviction.
The latest suite of charges stem from the June 16 death of Brooke Devinney, 19, the defendant’s on-again, off-again girlfriend.
Devinney was 14 weeks pregnant when she was killed, according to prosecutors.
The victim was discovered with “very significant physical injuries from assault,” at around 7:45 a.m. on Sunday in response to a 911 text message report about domestic violence, the Columbus Division of Police said in comments to The Columbus Dispatch.
Devinney was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries later that morning. At or near the crime scene, responding officers also allegedly saw a man fleeing on foot but were not able to immediately apprehend him. Blair was arrested on Sunday afternoon – originally on outstanding warrants for domestic violence crimes against Devinney. On Monday, he was charged with her murder.
“Before today’s incident, he had two warrants out for his arrest for domestic violence that did involve Miss Devinney,” Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert said on Sunday in comments reported by local ABC affiliate WSYX. “He has proven to be a very dangerous individual who we unfortunately weren’t able to get off the street before he took somebody’s life.”
A GoFundMe was started by family friends to help the victim’s parents with the unspeakable loss.
The fundraiser reads:
On Father’s Day morning, June 16, 2024, their lives were shattered when Billie’s 19-year-old daughter, Brooke, and her unborn son were brutally taken from them by the unborn child’s own father.
The pain and sorrow this family is experiencing are beyond words. Like many families, they face financial constraints during this devastating time. Three paid days off work simply don’t suffice when they’re only on day two of grieving. Additionally, there’s an unimaginable crime scene in their home that requires proper attention, and funeral arrangements must be made once the bodies are released.
Devinney last reported Blair for domestic violence the Thursday before her death – but Columbus police said they could not find him.
The time before that, in December 2023, Devinney made a domestic violence report and Blair was arrested after initially running away from police. When taken into custody, he allegedly punched and bit an officer, according to court documents obtained by WSYX.
The TV station reports that Blair once allegedly took a knife to Devinney’s throat and threatened to kill her with it. On another occasion, he allegedly threatened to “bash in her head.” Law enforcement has reportedly responded to over a dozen reports at the Devinney household involving Blair since September 2023.
Blair pleaded guilty to the December incident in May and was out on a $10,000 recognizance bond along with an electronic ankle monitor when Devinney was beaten to death, according to the Dispatch.
In body-worn camera footage obtained by WSYX, Blair is arrested near an abandoned residence. When he is being led to the inside of a police cruiser, he bashes his own head against a window before being slammed down to the ground and told to stop.
“Bro, I’m cool, let me go,” the defendant says.
“You’re the one that did it,” an officer replies.
In court on Tuesday, appearing by video feed, the defendant unleashes a steady stream of expletives at the judge and attorneys.
“Now shut the f––– up and give me a f–––––– bond,” Blair said during his arraignment. “Say okay, grant it, get me the f––– out of here.”
At one point, his own attorney tells him to be quiet.
“Shut the f––– up,” Blair retorts. “Should have never brought me down here. I didn’t wanna come. You forced me down here.”
During the arraignment, a prosecutor reported that Devinney’s unborn child died four minutes after she did – just before 9 a.m. on Sunday.
The state initially asked for a $5 million bond – then later upped that request to $6 million in light of the repeated courtroom outbursts.
“Give me a bond so I can get out of here,” the defendant told the court
Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Jim O’Grady ultimately set Blair’s bond at $11 million.
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