Justin Mohn, a 32-year-old Pennsylvania man, shocked the nation when he allegedly beheaded his father, Michael Mohn, a federal employee, in their Levittown home on January 30, 2024. Mohn now claims his actions were justified as part of a “citizen’s arrest.”
At a preliminary hearing in the Bucks County Justice Center on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, Mohn faced charges including first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and terrorism. As he was led out of the courthouse in handcuffs, Mohn made a surprising statement to reporters.
“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,” Mohn said, appearing calm and well-spoken.
When questioned about how killing his father, a federal employee for over two decades, would support his objectives, Mohn explained that his father had betrayed him. He claimed he was attempting to carry out a citizen’s arrest, but his father resisted, leading Mohn to believe that using deadly force was legally justified in that situation.
The gruesome incident happened on January 30, when Mohn’s mother discovered her husband’s body in their family home in Levittown, Pennsylvania. Michael Mohn’s head was found inside a plastic bag in a cooking pot. Justin Mohn had fled the scene in his father’s car and was later apprehended by police near Fort Indiantown Gap, a National Guard base, where he was armed with a firearm.
Prosecutors allege that Mohn had meticulously planned the murder. They presented evidence of a “to-do list” and revealed that Mohn had purchased the gun believed to be used in the killing of his father just one day before the incident. This information raises questions about the premeditation involved in the crime.
In a disturbing development, Mohn posted a 14-minute, 35-second video on YouTube shortly after the alleged murder. In the video, which has since been removed, Mohn displayed his father’s decapitated head at least twice. Prosecutors described the video as a “call to action” for people to rise up and overthrow the U.S. government, as well as capture and kill federal agents and judges.
The video, titled “Mohn’s Militia – Call to Arms for American Patriots,” had garnered at least 5,000 views before it was taken down.
After the alleged murder, Mohn made his way to Fort Indiantown Gap, a Pennsylvania National Guard training complex near Harrisburg. According to prosecutors, he intended to mobilize the National Guard against the federal government. He was arrested at the base by state police and base security.
Mohn’s defense attorney, Steven Jones, did not contest the murder charges but sought to have the terrorism charges dismissed. Jones stated, “It’s a tragic case. There are no winners here.”
Before the incident, Mohn had a history of filing lawsuits against federal agencies and his former employer, Progressive Insurance, alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. He was also active on social media, promoting his self-released music and books, including a dystopian science fiction novel.
Authorities revealed that Middletown Township police had three prior contacts with Mohn, including an argument in 2011, a report of an alleged threat in 2019, and concerns from an employer about his behavior in 2023. Despite these incidents, Mohn had no history of diagnosed mental health issues, and there was “nothing legally precluding him from purchasing that gun.”
Michael Mohn, the victim, was remembered by neighbors and co-workers as an engineer and mentor. His sudden and violent death has left many struggling to understand the motivations behind such an act.
Mohn faces a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, terrorism, robbery, firearms violations, and more. He has been denied bail, and a formal arraignment is scheduled for October 11, 2024. The homicide investigation remains active and could take months to complete.