A Las Vegas porn star has been accused of beheading her partner so that she could be with his son.
Devyn Michaels, 45, once known in the industry as Nikki Fairchild and Tracee Tavarez, stands accused of killing her partner, 47-year-old Johnathan Willette.
In August 2023, Henderson police discovered Willette’s headless body wrapped in a sheet inside his home.
According to CBS Austin, his severed head was missing, and investigators said chemicals had been poured over the corpse in an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
The smell of chemicals filled the air, and fumes emanated from the remains.
There were no signs of forced entry, suggesting Willette may have known and willingly let his killer inside.
“This wasn’t random,” Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani told the court.
“It was personal.”
Detectives later concluded that Michaels may have taken the head to her home in Las Vegas and disposed of it in a trash bin later collected by sanitation crews.
The head and murder weapon have never been found.
Devyn Michaels, 45, was charged with murder in connection to the death of 47-year-old Johnathan Willette in August 2023. Credit: Henderson Police Department
A Twisted Motive Emerges
Prosecutors allege Michaels committed the murder so she could start a new life with her children and her secret husband - Willette’s adult son, Deviere.
“This is the future that she saw and that she wanted,” Giordani told jurors this week.
“And the only way to have that future was with John out of the picture.”
According to CBS 8, Willette had allegedly been considering reconciling with Michaels but planned to move his son Deviere out of the house, potentially disrupting Michaels' desired future.
Police found Willette’s body wrapped in a sheet on his bed. Credit: GoFundMe
Defense Points the Finger at the Victim’s Son
Michaels, who initially accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder in 2024, later withdrew her guilty plea in July.
“I know right now no one in the family is going to believe me,” she said at the time.
“I know right now no one in the family feels that I am innocent at any point, and I understand that, but I can actually prove my innocence. I actually can. And I'm not going to stop fighting to prove my innocence."
Now, she faces first-degree murder charges and a potential life sentence if convicted.
Her attorney, Robert Draskovich, insists the wrong person is on trial.
He claimed in court that it was Deviere Willette, not Michaels, who had the motive and the know-how to commit the crime without leaving a trace.
“Look at the motivations, and find her not guilty,” Draskovich told the jury.
He argued that Deviere, a home-security installer, “hated his father” and was about to lose his place in the home.
But prosecutors have never named Deviere a suspect. He testified in court and, when asked if he killed his father, responded plainly: “No, sir.”
The trial is expected to continue for several weeks. Jurors will hear testimony from family members, review forensic evidence and cellphone data, and examine graphic crime scene photos.
Prosecutors are aiming to prove premeditated, first-degree murder - a charge that carries a mandatory life sentence under Nevada law.