John Jefferson
Background: Justin Mohn speaks with reporters after a court hearing on Sept. 10, 2024 (WCAU/YouTube). Inset: Justin Mohn (WPVI/YouTube).
The Pennsylvania man accused of beheading his father — a federal employee — says that he was justified in using “deadly force” against his victim because he “resisted” a citizen’s arrest.
Justin Mohn, 32, allegedly decapitated his father in January and displayed his head in a YouTube video in which he spouted right-wing conspiracy theories and called his father — a 20-year federal employee — a traitor. Middle Township police officers responding to the home on Jan. 30 found a headless Michael Mohn in the downstairs bathroom, along with a machete in the bathtub. Michael Mohn’s head was in a cooking pot in a bedroom.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Mohn is facing charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. Additional charges, including terrorism, terroristic threats, robbery and trespassing were added in February.
On Tuesday after a court hearing, Mohn said that he “wasn’t expecting this” and that he “had a speech ready” but didn’t have it with him. He then began to state his case, his belief in antigovernment conspiracy theories showing no sign of abating.
“I and a lot of other people around America believe that the federal government has betrayed America, they are destroying the country and we have to do something to take our country back,” Mohn told Philadelphia NBC affiliate WCAU.
When asked what killing his father had to do with that, Mohn said: “He was a federal employee and betrayed me.”
Mohn said that the alleged crime was justified when his father didn’t comply with his demands.
“I was trying to perform a citizen’s arrest,” Mohn said. “He resisted that citizen’s arrest. It’s lawful to use deadly force in that event.”
Mohn was previously deemed competent to stand trial, WCAU reported.
Mohn is accused of shooting his father, 68-year-old Michael F. Mohn, and then chopping his head off at their home in Middleton Township. On Jan. 30, Justin Mohn recorded a 14-minute, 34-second video titled “Mohn’s Militia — Call to Arms for American Patriots,” according to a probable cause arrest affidavit reviewed by Law&Crime. As he allegedly held his father’s head in a plastic bag for the camera, he said, “Mike Mohn is in hell for being a traitor to his country.” Mike Mohn was a retired federal employee.
After the killing, cops say Mohn stole his father’s 2009 Toyota Corolla. He drove to Fort Indiantown Gap, an Army National Guard base, where he climbed a barbed wire fence to enter the property, police said. Base security caught Mohn and found a 9 mm gun — the same caliber used to kill his father.
At Tuesday’s court hearing, prosecutors reportedly said Mohn had planned to kill his father and that he delivered a prepared speech online, appearing to be reading from a script. Mohn was issuing a call to action, prosecutors said, and wanted people to overthrow the U.S. government, as well as kidnap and kill federal agents and judges, WCAU reported.
He had allegedly written letters to the National Guard base where he was ultimately arrested, more than 100 miles away from his home.
Prosecutor Edward Louka said that Mohn had a “to-do list,” and that he was “making a call to arms to achieve the aims he believes it,” WCAU reported.
“He did that through violence,” Louka added.
Mohn’s attorney, Steven Jones, did not argue against the murder charges at the hearing, but did attempt to dismiss the terrorism charges, saying that he had no backing, no followers, and the only person hurt was the victim, Mohn’s father, WCAU reported.
Court records indicate that Mohn’s next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 11. He remains in custody.
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