Sick son decapitated dad and posted twisted video on YouTube with sinister explanation

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT In 2024, a Philadelphia man posted a video in which he held his father’s decapitated head up in a plastic bag, while ranting about politics and conspiracy theories

A Pennsylvania man who decapitated his father and posted a disturbing video of the severed head on YouTube has been found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Justin D. Mohn, 33, was convicted of first-degree murder and multiple other charges in connection with the January 2024 killing of his father, 68-year-old Michael F. Mohn, at their home in Levittown, a suburb of Philadelphia, in the U.S.

Bucks County Judge Stephen A. Corr, who presided over the bench trial, delivered the verdict and sentence, calling the crime “unimaginable.”

According to prosecutors, Mohn fatally shot his father with a newly purchased pistol before decapitating him using a kitchen knife and a machete.

He then recorded a 14-minute video showing his father’s severed head, which he uploaded to YouTube. The video remained live for several hours before it was removed.

The footage included lengthy rants about the U.S. government, immigration, fiscal policy, urban crime, and the war in Ukraine. In it, Mohn described his father – who had been a longtime federal employee, working as an engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District – as a traitor.

He claimed his actions were intended to intimidate federal workers and push them to meet his demands, which included their resignation.

Prosecutors described the killing as “cold, calculated, [and] organized,” likening it to “something straight out of a horror film.” B

ucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said after the sentencing: “It’s unimaginable what the defendant did to his father and to his family. I know this verdict does provide some level of justice, but it will never heal their wounds. We are satisfied that this was the right outcome to guarantee that the community at large is safe from Justin Mohn.”

Family members delivered emotional victim impact statements in court, remembering Michael Mohn as a loving husband and father, a humble man with a sharp sense of humour who enjoyed reading, exercising, and playing guitar.

Mohn, who represented himself during parts of the proceedings, testified he shot his father while attempting to “arrest” him for what he claimed were false statements and treason. He admitted to severing his father’s head to send a message to government workers.

When he was arrested later the same day, Mohn had scaled a fence at Fort Indiantown Gap, the Pennsylvania National Guard’s headquarters. Authorities said he carried a USB drive containing photos of federal buildings and apparent instructions for making explosives.

Prosecutors also revealed Mohn had a history of posting violent anti-government rhetoric online and had written a letter to Russia’s ambassador to the United States, apologizing to President Vladimir Putin for claiming to be the czar of Russia and asking for refuge.

Mohn’s defense attorney, Steven M. Jones, called the case “undoubtedly difficult,” noting that prosecutors had initially sought the death penalty. He declined to comment on whether his client would appeal.

In addition to first-degree murder, Mohn was convicted of possession of an instrument of crime, gun charges, criminal use of a communication facility, terroristic threats, defiant trespassing, and abuse of a corpse.

During the trial, the judge cautioned attendees about the graphic images being shown as evidence, giving them the opportunity to leave the courtroom before viewing them.

Michael Mohn’s wife, Denice, testified that she and her husband had been supporting their son financially and emotionally while he looked for work. She said police had previously visited their home to warn him about his online postings.

Schorn described Mohn’s actions as exhibiting a “complete and utter lack of remorse,” calling it an “unimaginable, unfathomable crime.” Mohn will now spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.