The trial for a Bucks County man accused of fatally shooting his father and then beheading his corpse at their Levittown home, while also calling for a mass slaying of government employees, began Monday.
Justin Mohn, 33, faces charges of homicide in addition to abuse of a corpse, terrorism and related offenses in the death of Michael Mohn, 68, on Jan. 30. After the shooting, police said Justin Mohn used a knife and machete to sever his father’s head and displayed it during a 14-minute video posted to YouTube, which was online for several hours.
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An attorney for Mohn said he did not expect the case to get resolved with a plea deal, the Associated Press reported. Last year, Mohn wrote a letter to Russia’s ambassador to the United States asking for refuge, according to a defense expert who spoke at a competency hearing.
Michael Mohn was a longtime employee of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Philadelphia. His son was arrested the same night as the murder at the Pennsylvania National Guard’s headquarters in Fort Indiantown Gap. He was found with a loaded handgun and told investigators that he had intended to convince Gov. Josh Shapiro to join an uprising against federal employees.
During the video, Mohn listed specific people who he wanted captured and publicly executed, including the name and address of a U.S. District Court judge. A USB device found by police allegedly contained pictures of federal buildings and instructions to make an explosive device.
Investigators said Mohn had not been diagnosed with any mental health issues and had never been committed for inpatient psychiatric treatment.
“With the evidence we have gathered thus far, this individual was acting with clear mind, aware of his actions and proud of his consequences,” Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said at a news conference in February 2024.
However, since his arrest, friends and neighbors said he had a history of unusual behavior. A former roommate reportedly said Mohn showed signs of paranoia and thought the government was “out to get him,” and Mohn had filed multiple lawsuits against the U.S. government claiming his student loans were illegitimate since he was unable to find a job after college.