‘WE ALL LOVE BIANCA’
Hundreds pay tribute to road rage slaying victim:
WEST CHESTER » Hundreds gathered Friday at St. Paul’s Baptist Church in West Chester to honor the life of Bianca Roberson, who was shot and killed in what police said was a road rage homicide. The crowd was so large that a second room was opened to accommodate overflow seating with a live video of the service projected onto two screens.
“The love is overwhelming,” said Rodney Roberson Sr., Bianca’s father. “I want people to remember her joy. She was very positive, loving, outgoing, full of life, and never had a negative bone in her body. Her father and mother love her and miss her and are going to be talking to her in spirit every day.”
The service began with a choir singing gospel music with some attendees singing and clapping along while others embraced and wiped away each other’s tears.
“We all love Bianca,” said Rodney Roberson Jr., Bianca’s brother. “Everything we shared will never leave us. We have to let her legacy live on.”
Devin Williams, Roberson’s best friend, fought back tears as she spoke.
“She was fun loving, adventurous, and talented,” Devin said. “We took trips to the beach, the mall, the pool, went pumpkin carving, spent time together on vacations, and in detentions.” Devin Williams recalled one humorous occasion when the two went camping: “Neither of us knew how to put up a tent, and both of our phones were running out of battery. Bianca did not have enough battery to call our parents, but she did have enough to order pizza.”
The man charged in her murder, David Desper, 28, of Trainer, is being held without bail at Chester County Prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled July 13 before District Judge William Kraut of West Goshen.
Roberson died of a single gunshot wound to the head, suffered when she was driving her 2009 Chevrolet Malibu attempting to merge from one lane to another near the end of the Route 100 spur that connects to Route 202 south in West Goshen at around 5:30 p.m. June 28. In the days that ensued, a nationwide manhunt was underway for the driver of a faded red Chevy pickup truck. At 2 a.m. Sunday, July 2, Desper surrendered at the Media office of his attorney. The case has been pre-assigned to Common Pleas Court Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft.
The case has received worldwide attention.
Roberson graduated from Bayard Rustin High School in 2017. She was on the honor roll and was a member of the Black Student Union, and received the Knights with Character Award. Assistant Principal Joe DiAntonio fondly remembered Bianca.
“The memories we have of Bianca will not be taken away by a senseless act,” DiAntonio said, adding the number of young people in the room as a testament to the person she was and the many friends that she had. “She had a smile that brightened every room and she brought light into the lives of others by showing patience and caring for those around her. She had a commitment to service which we can all learn from.”
West Chester Area School District Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon said the loss the Roberson family is suffering is unimaginable.
“I am here with tremendous sorrow,” he said. “A woman who loses a husband is a widow, a husband who loses a wife is a widower, a child who loses a parent is an orphan, but there are no words to express a parent’s loss of a child.”
Scanlon said Bianca always had a positive attitude.
“She would want us to know that she is OK,” he said. “She would want us to be strong and to laugh.”
A large poster with “Jacksonville 2020” written on it was spread across a table in the back of the room, and was covered in signatures. Roberson was set to begin studying criminal justice at Jacksonville University this fall with hopes of becoming an FBI forensic agent. Chief Admissions Officer for Jacksonville University Thomas Taggart said, “I am humbled and honored to speak, and I give my deepest condolences for this tragic and senseless loss. One thousand miles away the Jacksonville University family grieves the tremendous loss. In a week, she would have been on campus for orientation.”
Taggart said Jacksonville University will be creating a scholarship in Bianca’s name.
“I remember her being vibrant and engaging from our first meeting,” Taggart said. “Bianca applied to Jacksonville University the day after that meeting.”
In an emotional solo, Candace Benson sang, “When Bianca sees your face, when she stands at the pearly gates, you’ll say ‘Well done! Come on in!’”
Rev. Dr. Wayne E. Croft gave an enthusiastic sermon in which he talked about being tested by God.
“You are being pushed beyond your present limit to see how much you can bear, but you will emerge changed and rise to new heights, proving to others that they can too,” he said. “Sleep on Bianca. We will not rest until justice is served. Don’t blame God for the evil and the hatred and the racism that is in America. Love conquers hate.”
At the end of the service each parent was presented with a blanket featuring a picture of Bianca.