Pennsylvania Man Accused of Beheading Father Could Face Death Penalty

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A 32-year-old Pennsylvania man accused of beheading his father and posting a video of the crime on YouTube may face the death penalty if prosecutors choose to pursue it. The Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced after an arraignment that they are reserving the right to seek capital punishment against Justin Mohn, who is charged with the murder of his 68-year-old father, Michael F. Mohn.
The incident occurred on January 30 at the victim's home on Upper Orchard Drive in Levittown. Middletown Township police officers responding to the scene found Michael Mohn decapitated in a downstairs bathroom, with a machete in the bathtub. His head was discovered in a cooking pot in a bedroom. Authorities allege that Justin fled the scene in his father's 2009 Toyota Corolla.
Prosecutors claim that Justin used the machete to kill his father before posting a 14-minute video on YouTube showing the aftermath and identifying the victim by name. In the video, he allegedly called his father a "traitor" and urged like-minded individuals to kill federal employees. Michael Mohn was a 20-year civil engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
"Police later received information about a 14-minute video posted to YouTube, which showed the defendant picking up the decapitated head of his father, identifying him by name and as his father," prosecutors stated. "In the video, he ordered all militia and patriots across the United States to kill all federal employees."
Authorities also allege that Justin listed specific federal officials to be captured and publicly executed, providing the name and address of a U.S. District Court Judge as one of his targets. Hours after the murder, he was arrested at the National Guard Training Center in Fort Indiantown Gap, Lebanon County. Investigators believe he went there in an attempt to mobilize the National Guard against the federal government.
In a September court appearance, Justin claimed he was justified in using "deadly force" because his father resisted a citizen's arrest. Speaking to local media, he said, "I and a lot of other people around America believe that the federal government has betrayed America. He was a federal employee and betrayed me. I was trying to perform a citizen’s arrest. He resisted that citizen’s arrest. It’s lawful to use deadly force in that event."
Justin Mohn is charged with first-degree murder, terrorism, robbery, trespassing, abuse of a corpse, theft, criminal use of a communication facility, and possession of an instrument of a crime.
Michael Mohn was honored in 2019 with the "Outstanding Achievement Award," the highest annual honor for employees in his field. Colleagues mourned the "untimely and tragic loss" of a "gifted innovator, a consummate professional, an invaluable mentor, and a dear friend."
Prosecutors cited the "aggravating circumstance" that the slaying occurred during the commission of a felony, which could make Justin eligible for the death penalty if convicted. The case is ongoing as both the prosecution and defense prepare for trial.
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