In a shocking case that has captivated true crime followers, former adult film star Davyn Michaels has been found guilty of first-degree murder for the brutal decapitation killing of her ex-husband, Johnathan Willette.
The Gruesome Crime Scene
Las Vegas jurors needed only two hours of deliberation on November 17, 2025, to reach their verdict against Michaels, who also performed under the names Nikki Fairchild and Tracee Tavarez during her 12-year porn career. The conviction comes for the August 6, 2023 murder that occurred in Willette's suburban home.
According to police testimony presented at trial, Michaels attacked the 46-year-old victim with a blunt object described as "candlestick-like" before severing his head from his body. Investigators testified that chemicals had been poured on the corpse, and the head was never recovered - detectives believe Michaels disposed of it in neighborhood trash bins.
Complex Relationships and Motive
Prosecutors John Giordani and Brittni Griffith argued that jealousy over child custody arrangements drove Michaels to commit the horrific crime. The former porn star, who had transitioned to working as a Las Vegas realtor, had been married to Willette from 2012 until their 2018 divorce.
Prosecutors revealed that Michaels had subsequently married Willette's son, 29-year-old Deviere Willette, though she described both marriages as "conveniences" during testimony. The complex family dynamics included Michaels having carried on a clandestine affair with the younger Willette while still married to his father.
"The walls were closing in on Devyn Michaels and the fantasy that she had put together," Griffith told jurors during closing arguments, suggesting Michaels wanted the elder Willette permanently removed from her life.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
The trial featured dramatic evidence, including crime scene photos of the decapitated body and a video confession where Michaels admitted to police that she struck Willette during a massage session. "He didn't say anything. He stopped moving," she told homicide detectives in the recorded interview.
Defense attorney Robert Draskovich attempted to create reasonable doubt by questioning when exactly the decapitation occurred and suggesting it might have happened after his client's initial attack. The coroner determined both a knife and saw were used in the dismemberment, though neither weapon was ever recovered.
Michaels had initially pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a deal that would have made her eligible for parole after 15 years, but she withdrew the plea by declaring her innocence at sentencing last summer, forcing the case to trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2026, with prosecutors having declined to seek the death penalty. The swift jury verdict suggests the evidence presented was overwhelmingly convincing for the panel of Las Vegas citizens.
