Pennsylvania Man on Trial for Beheading Father in Anti-Government Attack, Posting Video Online

Flowers rest at the front door of the Mohn residence in Upper Orchard section of Levittown, Pa., on Feb. 2, 2024

A Pennsylvania man accused of shooting and decapitating his father, then posting a video of the gruesome killing online while calling for an armed uprising against the U.S. government, is now on trial in a suburban Philadelphia courtroom.

Justin D. Mohn, 33, faces charges of first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, terrorism-related offenses, and weapons charges in the January 2024 killing of his father, Michael F. Mohn, at the family’s Levittown home.

In emotional testimony on Monday, the victim’s wife and Justin’s mother, Denice Mohn, recounted the moment she discovered her husband’s body in the first-floor bathroom during her lunch break. “I believe I screamed,” she said through tears. “I was screaming out front. I think I dialed 911.”

She said she had seen her husband earlier that day and recalled telling him, “Goodbye. I’ll see you later.”

Prosecutors allege that Justin Mohn purchased a pistol the day before the killing, used it to shoot his father, and then used a kitchen knife and machete to sever his head. The decapitated head was later displayed in a graphic 14-minute YouTube video, which remained online for several hours before being removed.

Prosecutors played audio recordings of the 911 calls in court, with Denice’s screams heard in the background. A neighbor, James Carnley, testified that he rushed to help after hearing the commotion and told a dispatcher that the victim had been decapitated. Prosecutors also presented the disturbing video and graphic photographs as evidence. The courtroom was warned in advance before the materials were shown.

Justin Mohn, the man accused of beheading his father in their suburban Philadelphia home in January 2024

Mohn’s motive, according to prosecutors, was rooted in a calculated plan to intimidate federal employees and incite anti-government violence. Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn has previously described the homicide as “something straight out of a horror film.”

At the time of the murder, Mohn had been living with his parents as he searched for work, receiving emotional and financial support. His mother described his relationship with his father as typical of a father and son.

After the killing, Mohn was arrested later the same day while attempting to scale a 20-foot fence at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania’s National Guard headquarters. Authorities say he was armed with a handgun and carrying a USB drive containing images of federal buildings and instructions for making explosives. He reportedly hoped to persuade National Guard troops to join him in a violent uprising against the U.S. government.

In the video, Mohn labeled his father — a 68-year-old engineer with the geoenvironmental section of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — a traitor, citing his two decades of federal service. The video also included anti-government rants on immigration, fiscal policy, crime, and the war in Ukraine.

Defense attorneys for Mohn declined to make an opening statement. During a prior competency hearing, a defense expert revealed that Mohn had written a letter to the Russian ambassador to the U.S., requesting refuge and apologizing to President Vladimir Putin for previously claiming to be the czar of Russia.

Mohn watched Monday’s testimony, as well as the videos and graphic images, without any visible reaction. The case is being heard in a bench trial, meaning the verdict will be determined by Judge Stephen A. Corr rather than a jury.