A former adult film actress has been handed a sentence of 28 years to life in a Nevada prison for the gruesome murder and decapitation of her ex-husband. The sentencing brings a partial close to a case that has horrified the local community.
A Grisly Discovery in Henderson
On a night in August 2023, the mother of 46-year-old Johnathan Willette made a horrific discovery in his Henderson home. She found her son's headless body, wrapped in blankets and doused with chemicals including bleach and ammonia. His truck was still parked outside, but his head was missing, believed to have been discarded in a nearby Las Vegas trash collection. It was never recovered.
The subsequent police investigation quickly led to the arrest of Devyn Michaels, 47. Michaels, who also used the names Nikki Fairchild and Tracee Tavarez and worked as a realtor, had a complex history with the victim. The pair were married from 2012 until their divorce in 2018. Shockingly, Michaels later married Willette's 29-year-old son, Deviere Willette, a union she later described in court as a marriage of convenience.
From Guilty Plea to Trial and Conviction
During the investigation, Michaels admitted to striking Willette with a wooden, candlestick-like object while massaging his back in his bedroom on August 6, 2023. She claimed he had made an unwanted sexual advance and that she only intended to hospitalise him, not kill him. However, prosecutors argued she then proceeded to decapitate him.
In 2024, Michaels entered a guilty plea to second-degree murder under a deal that promised parole eligibility after 15 years. She later tried to withdraw this plea. At a sentencing hearing in July 2025, she apologised and then proclaimed her innocence, forcing the case to a full trial. The prior plea agreement was not disclosed to the jury.
After a two-week trial in November 2025, a jury convicted Michaels of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon. On Thursday, January 8, 2026, Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones imposed the final sentence. "I cannot deliver what the family is hoping for," Michaels said briefly before the judge ruled.
Lasting Impact on a Family
Johnathan Willette, who founded JW Marketing and was known as The Vegas Moving Guy, was remembered as a man who helped others find work. In the wake of his murder, his two children were taken into the custody of his father and stepmother.
His stepmother, Valerie Willette, spoke after the sentencing, stating, "We cannot bring Johnathan back. God has gained an angel in heaven. We believe he is watching over us and the girls." The sentence concludes a tragic chapter, though the family's loss remains profound and everlasting.
