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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
US man gets life for beheading father as political statement and posting video
A Pennsylvania man has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting his federal government employee father, decapitating him and brandishing the severed head in an online video that called for the execution of other civil servants. Justin Mohn, 33, was sentenced on Friday after a five-day trial by a judge that found him guilty of murder and terrorism charges, Pennsylvania state prosecutors said. Mohn's conviction is the first time anyone in Pennsylvania has been found guilty under the state's terrorism statute. The local district attorney, Jennifer Schorn, said 'the chilling use of [Mohn's] father's death as a political statement' helped 'underscore the extreme danger he poses'. Among the most damning pieces of evidence in the case was a 15-minute video published on YouTube after the slaying of Michael Mohn, 68, who had long worked for the US army corps of engineers. In it, Justin Mohn, his son, spouted rightwing conspiracy theories, lobbied for militias to torture and execute his father's fellow federal government colleagues, and denounced immigration, LGBTQ+ people, the Black Lives Matter movement and antifascist activists. YouTube removed the video after it had accumulated about 5,000 views in a few hours, the Washington Post noted. Denice Mohn, Justin's mother, came home from work on 30 January 2024 to find her husband dead and beheaded in the bathroom, with a machete and a large knife nearby, said Schorn's office. An autopsy determined her husband had been shot in the head before his decapitation. Denice said at trial that she believed Justin had a normal relationship with his father, but he had struggled to retain employment after graduating from Penn State, which he blamed on the federal government and the educational system. After killing his father, Justin Mohn drove to a national guard training center, where he evidently hoped to convince troops to turn on the federal government, prosecutors alleged. He acknowledged midway through his trial that he had killed his father. But he maintained that the killing resulted from an attempted citizen's arrest that he botched when his father resisted. Prosecutor Edward Louka dismissed Justin Mohn's explanation as 'complete and utter nonsense'. 'He ambushed his dad when he was most vulnerable,' Louka said in court. 'His plan was to murder a longtime federal employee, his father, and order the murder of other federal employees for his warped belief that the government adopt his policies above all else.' After Pennsylvania state court judge Stephen A Corr returned the guilty verdict, Mohn's sister read a statement in court describing how her family felt 'violated by the defendant's extremely calculated and premeditated betrayal and from the posting of the horrifying video that he published online for thousands to see'. 'The awareness that my own brother is capable of such atrocities is terrifying,' Stephanie Mohn said in court, according to prosecutors' statement. 'That person we grew up with is long gone.' In their statement, prosecutors made it a point to allude to Michael Mohn's reputation of being 'a loving husband' as well as a 'father who was always there for his children'. 'Notably, he continued to provide significant emotional and financial support to … Justin, even into his 30s, as Justin struggled with unemployment and finding his path,' Schorn's office said of Michael. 'This tireless support underscored Michael's deep, unconditional love.'
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Washington Post
Man who beheaded father and displayed head on YouTube sentenced to life
A Pennsylvania man who beheaded his father and then displayed the severed head in a video he uploaded to YouTube was convicted Friday on murder and terrorism charges and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Justin Mohn, 33, was found guilty of shooting his 68-year-old father, Michael Mohn, a federal employee, and then decapitating him at their suburban home on Jan. 30, 2024, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said in a statement.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Daily Mail
Unhinged son Justin Mohn learns fate for decapitating father in live YouTube video
Unhinged son and conspiracy theorist Justin Mohn has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his father and showing the decapitated head in a YouTube video. Justin Mohn, 33, murdered and decapitated his father, Michael Mohn, 68, in January 2024 and left the body in their Levittown home, which is a suburb outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After the brutal slaying, Mohn held his father's head in a YouTube video and called for violent attacks against federal officials. His father served in the Army and was a federal employee with the Army Corps of Engineers. A year and a half later, Mohn has learned his fate for the stomach-churning crimes as Common Pleas Judge Stephen A. Corr delivered the verdict of guilty for first-degree murder on Friday. Mohn was also convicted of terrorism, marking the first defendant found guilty of the charges in Pennsylvania, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. In addition, the unhinged son was convicted of possession of a weapon, criminal use of a communication facility, terroristic threats, defiant trespassing, and abuse of a corpse. Prosecutors presented evidence, including the YouTube video, which was taken down hours after Mohn posted it, DNA evidence, testimony from over 15 witnesses, the son's handwritten letters from jail confessing to the crime, and a disturbing online search history. 'This case is about how Justin Mohn assassinated his father and callously used him as a prop to force the government to meet his demands,' Deputy District Attorney Ashley Towhey said in her opening statements. Powerful testimonies Mohn's mother, Denice, delivered a powerful testimony in court, noting that her husband was a loving and supportive father to their children. Denice found her husband's 'crumpled' body in their home after she returned from work on January 30. She screamed when she saw her dead husband, prompting neighbor Jim Carnley to run to the home. Carnley made the grim discovery that Michael was decapitated and called 911. The audio was played in court and revealed the disturbing screams from Denice in the background. When Middletown Township Police arrived on the scene, they found the decapitated head in the bathroom with a machete and a large knife nearby. An autopsy later revealed that Michael was first shot in the head before he was decapitated. There were no signs of defensive injuries. 'I am tortured at knowing what Justin was capable of doing to his father, who had unconditional love for him,' Denice's victim impact statement read. 'I hope Justin is never given another opportunity in his life to hurt anyone else or to distribute his hateful ideologies.' She testified that her son struggled to find employment, so she and her husband allowed him to stay in her home. Denice added that Mohn blamed the federal government for his inability to hold down a job. Mohn's sister, Stephanie, read a victim impact statement before his sentencing, telling the court, 'My whole family feels violated by the defendant's extremely calculated and premeditated betrayal and from the posting of the horrifying video that he published online for thousands to see.' 'The awareness that my own brother is capable of such atrocities is terrifying; that person we grew up with is long gone.' Mohn's brother, Zachary, spoke to his parents' 'strong set of values' and said that they consistently provided for their children. 'For him to target my father despite of all that compassion showed he did not care what he did to the world or to others,' Zachary said. 'Any show of remorse would be an appeal to emotions he doesn't feel, beyond them being used as a lever for his manipulation.' Shocking evidence Evidence was presented in court to demonstrate Mohn's violent intentions and premeditation. First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka stated in his closing arguments that Mohn's disturbing pattern of violence extended beyond the chilling YouTube video. Letters found at the crime scene and an online history detailing extremist beliefs were used to illustrate Mohn's 'calculated intent.' Bucks County Detective Eric Landamia testified that investigators found evidence that Mohn was planning a violent attack for five years. Detectives found a 'battle plan' belonging to Mohn that included instructions for building explosives and a list of potential targets he believed were 'traitors.' The explosive evidence detailed Mohn's sick intentions to target federal judges and politicians who went against his agenda as a 'white, straight, Christian male.' A shocking 'to-do list' was also presented in the trial, where Mohn directly referenced killing his father. The YouTube video was played in court, revealing Mohn's unhinged grievances against the government. He claimed that he was the leader of 'Mohn's Militia' and called for a 'revolution,' inciting violence against federal employees. Mohn's defense Mohn testified in the trial, claiming that he didn't mean to kill his father, but only wanted to perform a citizen's arrest. He said that his father committed treason against his country. Mohn said that the altercation escalated when his father threatened to kill him. He did confess to shooting his father and using a kitchen knife and a machete to decapitate Michael on the stand. Prosecutors dismissed his defense, with First Assistant District Attorney Edward Louka calling Mohn's testimony 'complete and utter nonsense.' 'He [Mohn] ambushed his dad when he was most vulnerable … he walked in and executed him,' Louka argued. 'His plan was to murder a longtime federal employee, his father, and order the murder of other federal employees for his warped belief that the government adopt his policies above all else.' Mohn was given an opportunity to show remorse, but he declined, blaming his failures once again on the federal government. 'I don't feel guilty for what I did, but I am sorry my family went through what they did because of the federal government's actions and my reaction to it,' he said. Mohn also gave a cryptic warning to Judge Corr, telling him that he would be judged when he met God. After the verdict, Mohn said it was 'not the outcome I wanted, but it's okay,' Levittown Now reported. Mohn's defense attorney, Steve Jones, spoke to reporters outside the courtroom. He called the facts of the case 'horrendous.' 'But the key takeaway is that Justin is still alive,' Jones said, adding that the defense team prevented the prosecution from seeking the death penalty. During the trial, Jones slipped a note to Mohn, prompting the haphazard apology on the stand. When asked whether Jones pushed Mohn to apologize, the defense attorney replied, 'Whether or not he was going to apologize for anything, any remorse that he might've felt, that was up to Justin, and Justin made his feelings known in court.' Jones told reporters that Mohn was 'serious about everything he did.' He said that his team would continue to represent Mohn if he decides to appeal the decision. Jones praised Judge Corrs and said the defense respected the court's decision. He added that Mohn has 'some real mental health issues.' 'The conviction of Justin Mohn closes a dark chapter, but the scars left by his monstrous actions will undoubtedly remain,' District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said in a statement. 'This conviction reflects the tireless efforts of law enforcement and our dedicated prosecution team, who meticulously pieced together the layers of this disturbing case to ensure accountability for these horrific crimes,' the statement continued. 'While we cannot undo the pain inflicted, we hope this verdict provides some measure of justice and closure for Michael Mohn's family.'
New York Times
4 days ago
- New York Times
Man Who Decapitated Father and Displayed Head on YouTube Gets Life in Prison
A Pennsylvania man who decapitated his father last year and displayed his severed head in a YouTube video — saying his father had interfered with his plot to overthrow the government — was convicted Friday on murder and terrorism charges and sentenced to life without parole. The man, Justin Mohn, 33, admitted during his trial in the Court of Common Pleas in Bucks County that he shot his father, Michael, 68, in the head at their suburban Philadelphia home on Jan. 30, 2024, and used a kitchen knife and a machete to decapitate him. Taking the stand in his own defense, Mr. Mohn appeared to show little remorse for the killing, which drew national attention and further scrutiny to violent content on YouTube. The video remained online for about five hours and received more than 5,000 views before YouTube removed it. In his testimony and public comments before his trial, Mr. Mohn said that he was making a citizens arrest and that his father, who had spent many years working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, had betrayed him. Jennifer Schorn, the Bucks County district attorney, said during a news conference on Friday, that it was unfathomable that Mr. Mohn could take his father's life in the home where he and his siblings were raised and loved by their parents. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
He Beheaded His Dad, Then Posted Video to YouTube — and Now He's Guilty After 'Utter Lack of Remorse'
A Pennsylvania man who beheaded his father and then posted a video of his severed head on YouTube was just sentenced to life in prison without parole. 33-year-old Justin Mohn was found guilty of first-degree murder during trial, the AP reported. Prosecutors say that Mohn fatally shot his father with a gun he recently purchased, and then decapitated him with a kitchen knife and machete. Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said that Mohn exhibited a 'complete and utter lack of remorse,' after sentencing. She called it an 'unimaginable, unfathomable crime' to reporters, per the outlet. When taking the stand, Mohn claimed he was trying to 'perform a citizen's arrest' on his father for 'treason' before killing him on Jan. 30, 2024, per CBS News. Mohn posted a 14-minute YouTube video, which was left up for several hours before being removed, per the outlet. The video allegedly showed him picking up 'the decapitated head of his father, Michael Mohn, identifying him by name and as his father, stating 'He is now in hell for eternity,'' according to a probable cause affidavit previously obtained by PEOPLE. According to the affidavit, officers found a machete in the bathtub and a large kitchen knife. The father's head was found in a plastic bag inside a cooking pot near a first-floor bedroom. Mohn was then arrested that same day when police found him hopping a fence at the Pennsylvania National Guard headquarters. Related: He's Accused of Beheading His Dad, Then Posting Grisly Footage to YouTube. Now He's Facing a Murder Trial Authorities claimed that he also had a USB device which held photos of federal buildings and instructions for how to make explosives when he was captured, per the AP. During the trial, Mohn's mother said police previously came to their house to warn them about her son's online posts which expressed violent anti-government rhetoric, according to the outlet. The YouTube video had also included rants about the government, immigration and the war in mother testified that she and her husband had been financially supporting Mohn as he was looking for a job, ABC News reported. A defense expert said during a competency hearing for Mohn that Mohn wrote to Russia's ambassador to the U.S. hoping to strike a deal and give him refuge, "apologizing to President Vladimir Putin for claiming to be the czar of Russia,' the outlet reported. He was ruled competent to stand trial. Prosecutors described the killing of Michael Mohn as 'something straight out of a horror film' and called it a 'cold, calculated, organized plan,' per the AP. Read the original article on People
