Her death sparked an incredible, national wave of grief and solidarity, especially among the LGBTQ+ community, with vigils held across the country in her honour.
Now it can be revealed that she was lured to her death by her friend Scarlett Jenkinson, who was fuelled by an obsession with serial killers and an obsession with Brianna.
Jenkinson's friend, Eddie Ratcliffe, who shared her fixation with murder and cruelty, was her partner in a crime in which Brianna was stabbed 28 times.
Both teenagers have now been jailed for life for murder - Jenkinson to serve at least 22 years and Ratcliffe at least 20 years. Brianna, who lived in Birchwood in nearby Warrington, trusted Jenkinson, who she had come to know at Birchwood High School.
She was a strong character - but also vulnerable.
On the one hand she suffered from anxiety and an eating disorder, but she also ran a hugely popular TikTok account with more than 30,000 followers, where she tried on outfits and lip-synced to her favourite songs.
Brianna spent much of her time at home. The day she was murdered, her mum was proud of her for summoning up the courage to take the bus alone to meet a friend.
Tragically, the journey to Culcheth on the number 28 bus would be her last - it was a trap laid by Jenkinson, who, after weeks of fantasising about murder with Eddie Ratcliffe, had decided that Brianna was their ideal victim. Jenkinson had transferred to
Birchwood in October 2022 after she'd been 'excluded' from her previous school, Culcheth High School, following an incident 'around drugs being passed to another kid.
Brianna and Jenkinson had become friends and would occasionally hang out at the shops or McDonald's after class.
Jenkinson's messages to Ratcliffe revealed what she really thought of Brianna.
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