Devyn Michaels, a former adult film star, is sitting trial for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Johnathan Willette. The prosecution alleges Michaels bludgeoned and decapitated Willette in her Las Vegas home as he was preparing to move in. She is facing charges of open murder in his death. The trial began almost a week ago, on November 5, 2025, 2 years after the murder.

Man Decapitated in Bed

The murder of Michaels’ ex-boyfriend and father to her two daughters occurred on August 7, 2023, in what was soon to be their home. Prosecutors argue this case is nothing short of brutal. During opening statements, they allege Michaels committed this heinous act because she was unhappy with their arrangement and his move-in was too quick.

The former couple allegedly discussed the living arrangement months before as a solution to keeping their family together. However, investigators believe Michaels was concerned that her ex-boyfriend’s presence would disrupt the home life she had created with her current husband, Deviere Willette, who is Johnathan’s stepson from a previous relationship.  

Devyn and Deviere alleged to police that their marriage was for insurance purposes, but it was later found out that they had been having an affair for years while she was dating his father. To further incriminate her, she confessed to police that she hit Johnathan over the head with a club as he was receiving a back massage, according to the prosecution. She denies decapitating and hiding his head, but there is evidence in the case to suggest otherwise. Unfortunately, police have not recovered the murder weapon or Johnathan’s head.

Devyn’s defense attorneys have a different version of events and presented that theory in court as they pointed the finger at Deviere. According to the defense, Deviere killed his father out of fear that he would lose his wife and home. He decapitated him and hid his head along with the murder weapon to draw attention to his wife instead of himself.

Prosecution’s Opening Statements 

John Giordano led the prosecution’s arguments in an opening statement on November 5, detailing the evidence at hand. He began by stating the facts that Johnathan and Devyn had two daughters together, with full physical custody going to their father. Devyn was in a “marriage of convenience for insurance” with Johnathan’s stepson, Deviere. And on August 6, 2023, around 8:00 am, Jonathan’s mother found her son’s decapitated body, riddled with chemical burns, in his bed.

An autopsy showed the death was by homicidal violence with decapitation, which happened post-mortem using a knife and power saw. Investigators found Johnathan’s phone with blood on it in Devyn’s car, and his Social Security card was found in her purse. As for his wallet, photo ID, and truck keys, they were stuffed inside her underwear drawer, in tied plastic bags with her DNA on the knots.

At approximately 2:04 am, surveillance footage captures Devyn leaving the victim’s home and arriving there 30 minutes later. Cell phone evidence shows that Deviere was at home at the time of the murder while Devyn and Johnathan were together. She told police she last saw Johnathan alive in his garage, and was not sure how his phone ended up in his car.

However, after they presented the evidence, she changed her story multiple times until admitting to hitting Johnathan over the head while giving him a massage. She still refused to admit to the decapitation or reveal any details to prove she finished him off. 

Defense’s Opening Statements 

The defense claims Deviere is lying about his relationship with Devyn and that it was more than a marriage out of convenience. They claim the two had a “long torrid affair” that started while Devyn was dating his stepfather. They presented phone sex messages, romantic texts, and wedding photos to show how sexual their relationship was. Deviere initially told police they were not intimate, but testified in front of a grand jury that they were after the first year of marriage.

Defense attorney Robert Draskovich laid into the theory that Deviere was angry with his stepfather, going as far as to claim he hated him. Deviere was allegedly kicked out of their home on August 7, 2023, so Johnathan could move in, and that put the fear in him to commit the murder. Deviere did not provide a solid statement to the police, and his story changed throughout the investigation. 

On the night of the murder, the defense alleges Deviere left his phone at home to create an alibi while he went over to Johnathan’s home and slayed him. They showed texts from Devyn to Deviere telling him he needs to move out, calling him a “liar and cheater.” He also had access to tools like a sawzall, which could have been used during the decapitation. To further implicate him, they note that no blood was found on their client’s body through surveillance footage or as seen by the victim’s mother, who last saw her at 1:00 am.

Witness Testimonies

Several witnesses have been brought forward to testify, including two crime scene analysts, the initial detective, the Clark County Medical Examiner, Johnathan’s mother and her boyfriend, and Deviere. Deviere denied all allegations against him and acknowledged his past lies. He claimed he was not angry about having to move out for his stepfather to move in and that he voluntarily flew to the trial to testify. He believes Devyn committed the murder. 

Dr. Stephanie Yagi, the medical examiner who received Johnathan’s decapitated body, testified on day three of the trial. She found chemical burns on the front of his body and a diamond weave pattern suspected to match the mattress.

There were superficial incised wounds that indicated there may have been previous attempts to decapitate his head. However, one thing is for sure, and that is that the decapitation occurred following his death. She was not able to determine the exact time of death or the body’s position during the beheading, but there is no evidence of strangulation or toxicological cause.