Ex-Porn Star Accused of Decapitating Children's Dad to Have 'Future' with Victim's Adult Son

The murder trial for Devyn Michaels, 47, began this week, with prosecutors telling jurors to "buckle up" before revealing the lurid details surrounding the alleged slaughter and subsequent decapitation of Michaels' on-again, off-again boyfriend, Johnathan Willette, 46, at his Henderson home in August 2023.

Police found Willette’s body wrapped in a sheet on his bed. The victim was decapitated, and his head, along with the murder weapons, has never been recovered by investigators, according to a report from CBS affiliate KLAS-TV News.

Michaels, a former adult film actress working under the names Nikki Fairchild and Tracee Taverz, initially pleaded guilty to a second-degree murder charge last fall and agreed to a plea deal in which she would serve 15 years in prison with the possibility of parole. But her July sentencing went off course when she revoked her plea and claimed she could prove her innocence.

District Court Judge Tierra Jones allowed Michaels to exit the deal and take the case to trial, but warned that she now risks being convicted of first-degree murder.

Michaels' trial kicked off on Wednesday, with both prosecutors and defense attorneys making jaw-dropping claims during their opening statements. The court proceedings have highlighted a complicated domestic situation that prosecutors argue provided the motive for the killing. Michaels and Johnathan, who were never married, shared two children and were reportedly planning to reunite and live together.

However, Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani presented evidence showing that at the time of the murder, Michaels was married to Johnathan's own son, 29-year-old Deviere Willette.

"And all I can say is, ‘Buckle up, because you’re in for a wild ride,’" Giordani told jurors as he shared photos Johnathan’s decapitated body.

Giordani reportedly went on to tell the jury about the gruesome details of the alleged murder, saying that Michaels allegedly beat Johnathan with a stick before decapitating him and then poured chemicals over his body, according to police.

While referencing a photo of Michaels, Deviere, and the children, Giordani told the jury: "This is the future that she saw and that she wanted, and the only way to have that future was with John out of the picture."

Michaels is accused of taking Willette’s head from the crime scene and driving it to her home in Las Vegas, and dumping it in the trash. The head was then likely picked up by a trash disposal service, prosecutors said.

The defense, led by attorney Robert Draskovich, painted a far different picture, shifting the focus toward Johnathan’s son, Deviere. Draskovich suggested to the jury that Deviere "hated" his father, was being kicked out of his home, and was a possible suspect.

But police have never named Deviere as a suspect and interviewed him several times, according to Wednesday’s testimony.

“Look at the motivations, and find her not guilty,” Draskovich told the jury.

Draskovich would also tell the jury that Deviere and Michaels had a sexless marriage that was plagued by jealousy and distrust. 

According to the defense attorney, Michaels text messaged Deviere, calling him a “liar” and a “cheater” and asking for a divorce just days before Johnathan’s murder.

“What happened on Aug. 7, 2023, was Deviere was getting kicked out, he was no longer going to be in this relationship because dad, the dad he hated, was coming in and not only taking his home, but taking his wife,” Draskovich said.

While no cellphone or video evidence places Deviere at the scene of the crime, according to Giordani, Draskovich highlighted that Deviere worked as a home security installer and likely possessed the skills to avoid detection by surveillance cameras. 

During his testimony on Thursday, Deviere said he was not involved in the killing of his father and had not talked to his wife and de facto stepmother, Michaels, since her arrest. He also told the jury that, just before his father’s murder, he had recently broke the news to his father that he was married to her, according to KLAS-TV News.

Giordani then questioned Deviere, asking if he was involved in the murder.

“Did you kill your father?” Giordani asked.

“No, sir,” Deviere said.

“Did you have any involvement in killing your father?” Giordani replied.

“No, sir,” Deviere answered.

The trial is ongoing, with more witness testimonies expected in the coming days.