(NBC 10 Philadelphia)
32-year-old Justin Mohn from Pennsylvania is facing serious charges, including first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, after he allegedly beheaded his father, Michael Mohn, a retired federal employee, in January. The gruesome crime occurred at their home in Middle Township, where authorities discovered Michael’s headless body in a downstairs bathroom, with a machete left in the bathtub. His severed head was later found in a cooking pot in a bedroom.
Mohn claimed that his actions were justified, asserting that he used “deadly force” because his father resisted a citizen’s arrest. In a disturbing turn, Mohn recorded and posted a 14-minute video titled “Mohn’s Militia — Call to Arms for American Patriots,” where he held his father’s head in a plastic bag. In the video, he declared, “Mike Mohn is in hell for being a traitor to his country.” Mohn’s video also contained right-wing conspiracy theories, with him calling his father a traitor due to his federal service, local NBC 10 reports.
In addition to murder and abuse of a corpse, Mohn faces charges of terrorism, terroristic threats, robbery, and trespassing. Prosecutors allege that Mohn meticulously planned the killing and used the video to incite violence. After the murder, Mohn reportedly stole his father’s car and drove over 100 miles to Fort Indiantown Gap, an Army National Guard base. There, he climbed a barbed wire fence to enter the property but was apprehended by base security. Authorities found a 9mm gun on him, which matched the caliber used to kill his father.
At a recent court hearing, Mohn expressed his belief in antigovernment conspiracy theories, stating, “I and a lot of other people around America believe that the federal government has betrayed America, they are destroying the country, and we have to do something to take our country back.” When questioned about how his father’s murder fit into his ideology, Mohn responded, “He was a federal employee and betrayed me.” He also justified his actions by claiming it was lawful to use deadly force during a citizen’s arrest.
Mohn’s attorney has not disputed the murder charges but has sought to dismiss the terrorism charges, arguing that Mohn had no followers and that his only victim was his father. Prosecutors, however, maintain that Mohn’s actions were premeditated and that his video was a call to violence against federal agents and judges.
