Johnathan James Willette’s mother made the horrifying discovery of her son’s headless body inside his Nevada home.
His corpse was surrounded by toxic fumes from a dangerous mixture of bleach and ammonia, adding to the grim scene where she found her lifeless son, “wrapped up in blankets and bloody.”
She called Henderson police just before 9 a.m. on August 7, 2023, reporting she’d found her son dead at his residence in the 2000 block of Pala Dura Drive.
Devyn Michaels decapitated Willette, the father of her children, and put his head in the trash. More a than a year after the murder, she recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on September 17.
Devyn Michaels, 46, fatally killed Johnathan James Willette, the father of her children
Henderson Police Department
Second-degree murder is an intentional killing that was not premeditated or planned in advance. It differs from first-degree murder, which involves deliberate planning and intent to kill. In second-degree murder, the act is still intentional, but it occurs in the heat of the moment, often due to strong emotions or during another crime, without forethought.
The court will sentence Michaels on Oct. 31 in Clark County, Nevada and she is expected to become eligible for parole in 15 years.
Newsweek reached out to the Clark County Courthouse and District Attorney’s Office, however, they have not yet responded.
The Context
On August 15, 2023, Henderson Police took Michaels into custody and charged her with open murder.
In a lie detector interview with Henderson investigators at Las Vegas police headquarters, Michaels claimed Willette “was abusive to her.” She also alleged Willette had a child “take showers in front of him.”
According to the arrest report, Michaels told police while she was rubbing Willette’s back on the bed, she struck him in the head with a wooden stick.
She told police before she struck him, Willette had “tried to get her to perform a sexual act on him.”
Newsweek reached out to both the Henderson and Las Vegas police departments, however, they have not yet responded.
His family said Johnathan was always eager to help with moving and hauling, often offering jobs to others.
Johnathan James Willette Facebook
Who was Johnathan James Willette?
Willette grew up traveling from Tokyo to Montana to California due to his father’s Air Force career. After his father retired on March 1, 1995, the family settled in Henderson, Nevada, where Willette spent the remainder of his life, according to his obituary.
For over 20 years, Johnathan worked on the Las Vegas Strip selling timeshares. He later founded “JW Marketing” and before the pandemic, started a second business, “The Vegas Moving Guy.”
His family said Willette was always eager to help with moving and hauling, often offering jobs to others. He could frequently be seen driving his truck and trailer, proudly displaying two American flags as he traversed the Las Vegas Valley.
“In a word, Johnathan was a hard-worker and his keen intellect drove all his pursuits,” his obituary reads. “His passion to help others exceeded his own desires. Whatever he did, he was all in!”
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
