Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Life for Decapitating Father and Sharing Disturbing Video Online

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A Pennsylvania man who shot and decapitated his father before uploading a disturbing video to YouTube has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole following a first-degree murder conviction.

Justin D. Mohn, 33, was found guilty by Bucks County Judge Stephen A. Corr for the January 2024 killing of his father, 68-year-old Michael F. Mohn, inside their home in Levittown, a suburb of Philadelphia. The judge presiding over the bench trial, described the crime as “unimaginable.”

Prosecutors said Mohn used a newly purchased pistol to fatally shoot his father before severing his head with a kitchen knife and a machete. He then recorded a 14-minute video showing the severed head in a plastic bag while ranting about the U.S. government, immigration, fiscal policy, urban crime, and the war in Ukraine. The video was uploaded to YouTube and remained online for several hours before being taken down.

In the footage, Mohn referred to his father, a longtime federal employee with the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Philadelphia, as a traitor. He claimed the act was meant to intimidate federal workers and force them to resign.

Cold Calculated

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn called the killing “cold, calculated, [and] organized,” saying, “It’s unimaginable what the defendant did to his father and to his family. I know this verdict does provide some level of justice, but it will never heal their wounds. We are satisfied that this was the right outcome to guarantee that the community at large is safe from Justin Mohn.”

Family members gave emotional victim impact statements in court, remembering Michael Mohn as a devoted husband and father with a sharp sense of humor. His wife, Denice, testified that the couple had financially and emotionally supported their son while he searched for a job. She also recalled prior police visits to their home over concerns about Justin’s online posts.

During the trial, attendees were warned that graphic evidence would be presented, and the judge offered them the opportunity to leave the courtroom before viewing it.

Mohn represented himself during parts of the proceedings and testified that he believed he was attempting to “arrest” his father for false statements and treason. He admitted in court that he decapitated his father to send a message to government employees.

Mohn was arrested the same day after scaling a fence at Fort Indiantown Gap, the Pennsylvania National Guard headquarters. Authorities found a USB drive on him containing images of federal buildings and apparent instructions for creating explosives.

Prosecutors also revealed that Mohn had a history of posting violent anti-government rhetoric online and had once written a letter to the Russian ambassador in Washington, apologizing to President Vladimir Putin for falsely claiming to be the czar of Russia and requesting refuge.

In addition to first-degree murder, Mohn was convicted on multiple charges, including possession of an instrument of crime, criminal use of a communication facility, gun offenses, terroristic threats, defiant trespassing, and abuse of a corpse.

Schorn said Mohn’s actions demonstrated a “complete and utter lack of remorse” and called the case an “unimaginable, unfathomable crime.”