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<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b0986ec6bb6f809d22cebeb6553ad126" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong>Arrested in August 2023, Devyn Michaels, admitted to striking her boyfriend with an object after he tried to force her into sex act, but denied beheading the victim</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d7ea1ec5f75178ac1346ccc08348c6a9" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong>Michaels, now 47, in September entered into a plea deal in the murder her of her father-in-law turned lover, <strong>Johnathan Willette, 46</strong> </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a381f29fff76eae55b80370ce39c7eed" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong>Accepting a plea deal she&#8217;d admitted to second-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon of Willette</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a77c58f944ed724a999cfd0a37aa88f4" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong>Michaels entered the plea in exchange for the chance to get parole after serving a minimum 15 years of a projected life sentence </strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-accc08cab00df3c4403dd77e48075dda" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong>Despite her plea arrengement and astonishingly on Thursday, she declared she is innocent of <strong>Willette</strong>&#8216;s murder and has proof</strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-deb0725877a78d15080a025cd0d5f783" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong><strong>The initial plea arrengement for Michaels has now been rescinded as she insisted she wanted to go to trial </strong></strong></p>



<p class="has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e9368d0b17778f5aebd05770e67e9f10" style="color:#291818;font-size:14px"><strong><strong>As Michaels awaits a new court date, Clark Patrick informed the court of his intention to withdraw as counsel for the defendant</strong></strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Devyn-Michaels-6.png" alt="" class="wp-image-482098" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Despite pleading guilty earlier, murder suspect, Devyn Michaels, [photo], stunned a Las Vegas courtroom on Thursday when she withdrew her guilty plea, declaring instead that she is &#8216;innocent of her boyfriend&#8217;s murder and has proof&#8217;</strong></p>



<p>A Las Vegas woman who pled guilty to beheading her on-again off-again boyfriend stunned the courtroom on Thursday, withdrawing her guilty plea, she declared she is innocent of the crime and has proof.<br>In August 2023, Devyn Michaels, also known as Tracee Tavarez, was charged with murder after her boyfriend&#8217;s headless body was discovered in his bed, police say. Michaels initially denying the killing, but in later interviews with police she admitted to striking him on the head after refusing sex with him. Willette was abusive to her and his son during their relationship, she claimed. <br>On the day the intention was not murder, she had only wished to hospitalize her lover, claimed the suspect.<br>A month later, in September 2023, Devyn Michaels, now 47, entered into a plea deal in which she admitted to second-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon of Johnathan Willette, 46, in exchange for the chance to get parole after serving a minimum of 15 years on a life sentence.<br>She was due to be sentenced on Thursday July 17, 2024, but the hearing went off course when Michaels decided to address District Court Judge Tierra Jones directly, the Las Vegas Review-Journal <a href="https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/woman-set-for-sentencing-in-death-of-boyfriend-found-decapitated-in-henderson-3397565/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>. <br>&#8216;I know right now no one in my family feels that I am innocent at any point and I understand that, but I can actually prove my innocence. I actually can,&#8217; Michaels, who also goes by the name of Tracee Tavarez, said through tears.<br>&#8216;And I am not going to stop fighting to prove my innocence.&#8217;<br></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Johnathan-Willette-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-482080" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Johnathan James Willette, [photo], 46, was murdered at home in Henderson, Nevada, on August 7, 2023. His mother found his decapitated body on his bed</strong> </p>



<p>She then went on to accuse her lawyers of misdirecting her.<br>&#8216;I don&#8217;t know how to fix any of this anymore, I don&#8217;t,&#8217; Michaels claimed.<br>&#8216;I keep listening to what everyone tells me is the best thing to do: &#8220;Just do this and it&#8217;ll work out this way and follow this advice and we&#8217;ll do this&#8221; and I keep listening to the people because they&#8217;re saying, &#8220;This is the best advice&#8221; and it doesn&#8217;t turn out the way they tell me it will.&#8217; <br>Following her emotion-laden outburst, Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani said he was &#8216;not comfortable&#8217; with what Michaels was alleging and said he was &#8216;willing to let her out of her plea deal.&#8217;<br>Judge Jones then warned Michaels that she could be convicted of first-degree murder if she chose to go to trial, but Michaels insisted she still wanted to withdraw her plea.<br>She was first arrested in August 2023, after Willette’s mother discovered his headless body in his bed.<br>Cops found the body still &#8216;smoking&#8217; and noted that it smelled of chemicals, believed to be bleach and ammonia, when they entered the room on August 7. An investigation was launched into the grisly death, and Michaels was promptly brought in for questioning.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Devyn-Michaels-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-482082" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong> Devyn Michaels [photo], was first arrested in August 2023, after Willette’s mother discovered his headless body in his bed. Michaels and Willette had an unusual relationship &#8211; court records show the pair were planning to move in together even though she was married to Willette’s son, Deviere</strong></p>



<p>She initially denied the killing, and claimed that she left his home the night of his death.<br>But she later admitted to striking Willette on the head with a wooden stick after she said he tried to force her into a sex act. Michaels insisted at the time she only wanted to hospitalize him.<br>When a detective then asked if it was possible she killed him and just did not remember, Michaels <a href="http://She initially denied the killing, and claimed that she left his home the night of his death. But she later admitted to striking Willette on the head with a wooden stick after she said he tried to force her into a sex act. Michaels insisted at the time she only wanted to hospitalize him. When a detective then asked if it was possible she killed him and just did not remember, Michaels reportedly said it was 'very possible,' according to KSNV. She then claimed that Willette was abuse towards her, and alleged that he would have his oldest child take showers in front of him, according to an arrest report. The relationship by all accounts was a strange one because records show the pair were planning to move in together even though Michaels was still legally married to Willette’s adult son, Deviere">reportedly</a>, said it was &#8216;very possible.&#8217; <br>She then claimed that Willette was abuse towards her, and alleged that he would have his oldest child take showers in front of him, according to an arrest report.<br>The relationship by all accounts was a strange one because records show the pair were planning to move in together even though Michaels was still legally married to Willette’s adult son, Deviere</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Devyn-Michaels-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-468701" style="width:828px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>After her arrest in August 2023, Michaels [photo], said Willette was lying face down and rubbing her back when shed she grabbed a wooden stick and struck him on the back of the head, then his arms and legs went limp from the force of the impact</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Cleaning-agents-found-at-Johnathan-Willette-murder-scene-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-468676" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>When Nevada police, responded to the 911 call placed from Willette’s home by his mother, the body was still &#8216;smoking&#8217; and reeking of chemicals, believed to be bleach and ammonia, [crime scene photos]</strong></p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Johnathan-Willettes-wallet-keys-social-security-card-and-blood-covered-phone-found-at-Devyn-Michaels-home-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-482087" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Executing a search warrant against Michaels&#8217; Las Vegas home, officers recovered Willette&#8217;s keys, wallet, social security card and blood-covered phone. His head was never found. Cops believe a trash service likely picked it up </strong></p>



<p>Police claimed in the document that after Michaels decapitated the body, she took his head from Willette&#8217;s Henderson home to her place in Las Vegas, where she disposed of it in a trash can.<br>Officers never found Willette&#8217;s head, and believe a trash service likely picked it up.<br>They did, however, locate Willette&#8217;s wallet, keys, social security card and blood-covered phone at Michaels&#8217; home.<br>When she was then questioned again about his death, police said she was given a polygraph test that found she had a &#8216;significant reaction&#8217; to a question about her participation in his murder. ;<br>Assistant District Attorney Giordani called the circumstances of the case &#8216;haunting&#8217; in the moment&#8217;s before Michaels&#8217; outburst on Thursday.<br>&#8216;As you know, the defendant not only murdered her ex but then desecrated his body by decapitating him and putting chemicals on his body, causing him to burn,&#8217; he alleged.<br>&#8216;The defendant admitted to the fatal blow. She never admitted to the decapitation, but the evidence was overwhelming that it was obviously her who did it,&#8217; the prosecutor claimed. ;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Devyn-Michaels-2-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-482097" style="width:840px;height:auto"/></figure>



<p class="has-small-font-size"><strong>Michaels in an earlier plea admitted to second-degree murder with the use of a deadly weapon of Willette, in exchange for parole eligibility after 15 years. That plea deal has been rescinded after her insistence on a trial, to prove her innocence</strong></p>



<p>Willette&#8217;s father, JC Willette called Thursday&#8217;s hearing &#8216;disgraceful.&#8217;<br>&#8216;We were here for a sentencing and she continues to use the system to delay,&#8217; he said.<br>The victim&#8217;s stepmother, Valerie Willette, echoed her husband, as she also claimed that Michaels &#8216;has no remorse&#8217; and &#8216;needs to pay.&#8217; <br>Michaels is being held without bail on a count of open murder. Judge Jones indicated the case would move forward quickly.<br>&#8216;This is not going to stay stagnant and wait and wait and wait around for a trial,&#8217; she said. &#8216;This case has been delayed extensively and this case is not going to be further delayed so that there is no justice for everybody.&#8217; <br>Following the proceedings Michaels&#8217; attorney, Clark Patrick, informed the court of his intention to withdraw as counsel for the defendant. Judge Jones acknowledged defense counsel&#8217;s request, saying she would reach out directly to Clark County&#8217;s Office of Appointed Counsel to ensure the case could move quickly.</p>

In emotional courtroom outburst woman recants her murder plea, admitting to decapitating lover – defense attorney withdraws as Devyn Michaels heads back to court with ‘proof’ of her innocence
