Las Vegas Actress Convicted in Ex-Husband’s Murder

A Las Vegas adult film actress has been found guilty after a gruesome crime involving the beheading of her ex-husband, Jonathan Willett. Devin Michaels, 47, faces a potential life sentence for the murder of Willett, a 46-year-old real estate agent, whose body was discovered in their Henderson home on August 6, 2023.

The police report indicated that Willett’s body was found wrapped in a blanket and “covered in blood,” discovered by his terrified mother.

Prosecutors claimed that Michaels’ jealousy was a driving factor behind the murder, particularly after Willett gained sole custody of their two children.

During the trial, prosecutor John Giordani presented disturbing images from the crime scene, including a photo of Willett’s decapitated body, commenting, “Buckle up, you’re in trouble.”

A video played in court showed Michaels telling police that she struck Willett with something resembling a candlestick while he was giving her a massage. According to her account, “He didn’t say anything. He stopped moving,” she revealed during police questioning.

From there, she described how she decapitated Willett and transported his head in a laundry basket, ultimately disposing of it in a neighbor’s trash can.

Prosecutor Britni Griffith stated that Michaels wanted Willett out of the public eye, especially as he was preparing to return to her and her son. “The truth is, the walls were closing in on Devin Michaels and the illusion she created,” Griffith remarked before sentencing.

Michaels and Willett were married in 2012 but divorced in 2018. Afterward, Michaels married Willett’s son, Deviere Willett, 29, in what was described as a marriage of convenience. Deviere testified that he had no connection to his father’s death, even as Michaels’ attorney attempted to implicate him.

There was a chilling moment during Michaels’ police interrogation when a garbage truck passed by, leading her to claim Willett had said “bye-bye.” This was an unsettling addition to an already disturbing case.

The murder weapon and dismemberment tools were never found, and Michaels’ attorney argued that she couldn’t have carried out the decapitation due to Willett’s size, noting that there were no witnesses or sounds indicating a murder had occurred.

Scheduled for sentencing on January 8th, Michaels faces life in prison without the possibility of parole, as prosecutors decided against seeking the death penalty.

Previously, Michaels had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a deal that would have allowed for parole after 15 years but later changed her plea to not guilty, opting for a trial instead.