Henderson detective found victim’s phone at home of woman on trial for killing, decapitation
A detective testified Monday that hours after Johnathan Willette’s body was found decapitated inside his mother’s Henderson home, police discovered his bloodied cell phone in the driveway of a Las Vegas house belonging to the woman on trial in his slaying.
Henderson Police Detective Kari Skinner told jurors that on Aug. 7, 2023, she and another detective went to Devyn Michaels’ house to “confront” her about evidence related to the killing of Willette, who was Michaels’ on-and-off boyfriend, the father of her two young daughters, and also the father of her husband.
After the interview, Michaels was arrested and charged in Willette’s death.
Skinner’s interview with Michaels was the second time Michaels had spoken to police after Willette’s death. By that point, investigators had already searched her home and discovered a plastic bag in her underwear drawer containing the victim’s wallet and ID, according to Chief Deputy District Attorney John Giordani.
During that visit, Skinner found a cellphone lying on the driveway near Michaels’ Nissan SUV. The device, the detective said, had blood on it.
Michaels, who was nearby, seemed to be moving items from the vehicle when the detectives arrived, Skinner also said.
The detective testified that she did not initially retrieve the phone to avoid contaminating the evidence. But moments after beginning her interview with Michaels, one of the woman’s young daughters ran up to them, holding the phone.
“[The girl] says, ‘Mommy, here’s daddy’s cellphone. This is why he didn’t answer,” Skinner testified.
Skinner also said that Michaels had a “physical reaction” when the child picked up the cell phone. Michaels then offered it to the police, saying, “This should help you,” according to the detective.
Both the blood and the cellphone were later confirmed to belong to Willette. Analysis of the phone’s data revealed that Michaels placed several calls to Willette after his death, Skinner testified.
Asked about the blood, Michaels told detectives that Willette had previously reported cutting his hand while moving a table, Skinner said. The detective added that the victim’s autopsy did not show any injuries other than his decapitation.
Skinner also testified that investigators examined the table on which Michaels said Willette injured himself and no blood was found.
During the interview, which was recorded and played for jurors, Michaels said that Willette angered easily and had a gambling problem.
In the recording, Michaels told detectives she would have done anything to keep Willette “happy” because he had legal custody of their daughters and she wanted to remain in the children’s lives.
Contact Akiya Dillon at adillon@reviewjournal.com
