A Pennsylvania man will spend the rest of his life in prison after he shot and beheaded his father, then posted a disturbing video of the crime on YouTube. Justin Mohn, 33, was found guilty of first-degree murder and several other charges for killing his 68-year-old father, Michael Mohn, at their home in Levittown in January 2024.
Michael Mohn was a well-respected civil engineer who worked for over 20 years with the US Army Corps of Engineers Philadelphia District. As per NY Post, his son bought a 9mm handgun just one day before the murder, giving up his medical marijuana card so he could legally buy the weapon. After shooting his father in the head, Justin Mohn used a kitchen knife and machete to cut off his head, then recorded a 14-minute video holding up the severed head in a plastic bag.
When Justin Mohn took the stand during his trial, he coldly explained why he did it. He said he believed his father was trying to stop him from becoming a politician. “I knew something such as a severed head would not only go viral but could lessen the violence,” he told the jury. He claimed he wanted to arrest his father for treason, and killing him was his backup plan when that didn’t work. Mohn said his parents had different political views than him, calling them left-leaning, and he believed his father wanted to stop him from becoming a politician like Donald Trump.
What really happened that day
The awful video stayed on YouTube for several hours before being taken down. During that time, over 5,000 people watched it. In the video, Mohn went on angry rants about the federal government and attacked President Biden’s administration. He called his father a traitor and declared himself the acting US president under martial law. He also ordered what he called his militia to capture and kill federal employees across the country.
After posting the video, Mohn drove about two hours to Fort Indiantown Gap, a Pennsylvania National Guard training center. He climbed over a barbed wire fence while carrying a loaded pistol. He was hoping to get National Guard members to join his plan to overthrow the government. Police arrested him later that same day. When they searched his things, they found a USB device with photos of federal buildings and instructions for making explosives.
During the trial, his mother Denice Mohn cried in court as her son talked about what he did. She told the court that she and her husband had been helping their son with money, giving him about $540 per month while he looked for work. Police had even come to their home before the murder to warn Justin Mohn about his worrying online posts. After the verdict, Justin Mohn showed no remorse. He called what he did justice and said he didn’t feel guilty. He even said he should be used in a prisoner swap with Russia.
Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said Mohn showed no remorse at all and called the crime unthinkable. The judge gave him two consecutive life sentences on Friday, making sure he will never be released from prison.
Published: Oct 15, 2025 11:46 am