Nev. man found decapitated in bed with 'smoke' coming out of his body
08/18/2023 3:27 pm PDT
HENDERSON, Nev. (TCD) -- A 45-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of murder after the victim’s mother discovered him decapitated inside his bedroom last week.
In a statement, Henderson Police said officers and the fire department responded to a home on the 2000 block of Pala Dura Drive on Aug. 7 at 8:40 a.m. after receiving a call about a dead person inside. When they arrived, they found a male victim deceased. Police the man’s death was "the result of a homicide."
Henderson Police identified the victim’s girlfriend, Devyn Michaels, as the suspect and arrested her Aug. 15 on a charge of open murder.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the victim has been identified as 46-year-old Johnathan James Willette. Willette and Michaels were in a relationship, but Michaels is also married to Willette’s son. Court documents cited by the Las Vegas Review-Journal say Michaels and the son wed "to help each other out."
Willette’s son reportedly told investigators their "marriage is not a typical marriage and that they got married so he could help Devyn with her medical issues."
On the morning of Aug. 7, Willette’s mother went into his room and found her son "wrapped up in blankets and bloody." Police noted in their report that Willette’s "head had been severed from his body and was not observed to be in the room."
KLAS-TV, which also cites the court documents, reports investigators noticed a chemical odor coming from his room, most likely from bleach or ammonia. The chemicals were allegedly put on Willette’s body, which resulted in "smoke" emanating from it.
Investigators discovered several of Willette’s personal items, such as his wallet and phone, with blood on them.
Willette and Michaels were reportedly in the process of moving in together because they have two daughters, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Michaels reportedly told police Willette was abusive and made a child "take showers in front of him."
The night of his death, Willette allegedly "tried to get her to conduct a sexual act on him," but she refused and hit him on the head with a wooden stick.
According to the arrest report, Michaels "stated that she did not want to kill Johnathan and only wanted to hurt him enough that he would have to go to the hospital because she wanted him out of the way so she could figure out what she could do with her children."
Court records show Michaels was denied bail.
MORE:
TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page for podcasts, exclusive videos, and more, and don’t forget to follow us on TikTok.
