A Nevada jury found Devyn Michaels guilty of first-degree murder on November 14, 2025, in a case that exposed a bizarre love triangle involving a former adult film actress, her on-and-off partner, Johnathan Willette, and Willette’s son, whom Michaels later married.
The court convicted Michaels, now 47, of brutally killing her on-and-off partner, Johnathan Willette, whose headless body was found doused in chemicals in August 2023. The prosecution argued she killed Willette so she could build a future with his adult son, Deviere Willette.
Michaels, who also performed as Tracee Tavarez, had previously admitted in police interviews that she struck Willette during a back massage, claiming her intent was not to kill him but to injure him so she could resolve issues regarding her children, whom she shared with Johnathan, before marrying Deviere.
A mother’s gruesome discovery
In August 2023, Willette’s mother found his body in his Henderson, Nevada, home. Michaels had wrapped his body in blankets and doused it with bleach and ammonia, giving it a “smoldering” appearance, according to court records.
According to the prosecution, she viewed Johnathan as standing in the way of the life she envisioned with her two daughters and Deviere. During opening statements, Deputy District Attorney John Giordani told jurors: “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,” per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Michaels’ defense argued otherwise, suggesting Deviere Williette had motive and opportunity to kill his own father. Deviere, now 29, denied any involvement in the killing. When the trial began, Michaels’ defense attorney told the jury, “Buckle up. Oftentimes, in the intricacies and complications of human relations, things get unsafe, things are immoral.”
Michaels’ changed plea
Back in 2024, Michaels pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to a deal that could have made her eligible for parole after 15 years. But during her sentencing hearing this past summer, she dramatically recanted her plea — apologizing, then declaring she was innocent and wanted to take the case to trial.
In her police interviews, Michaels admitted to using a blunt object to strike Willette on the head, after which he went limp. A detective also testified that she failed a polygraph test during questioning. She allegedly told investigators she later took his head to her home and discarded it in a trash bin.
With the first-degree murder conviction, Michaels now faces life in prison, possibly without the chance for parole. The sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2026, according to court filings.
