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Levittown Man Sentenced to Life for Gruesome Murder of Father
A Levittown man has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the brutal murder of his father. Justin D.
Mohn, 33, was convicted on Friday by Bucks County Judge Stephen A. Corr for the January 2024 shooting death of 68-year-old Michael F.
Mohn.
The crime, described by Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn as “unimaginable” and “unfathomable,” involved Mohn shooting his father with a recently purchased pistol before decapitating him with a kitchen knife and machete. Mohn then posted a 14-minute video of his father’s severed head on YouTube, which remained online for several hours.
During the trial, Mohn testified that he attempted to “arrest” his father for alleged “false statements and treason,” claiming the shooting occurred during a struggle. He further stated the decapitation was intended as a message to federal workers, demanding their resignations amongst other things.
Prosecutors presented evidence painting a different picture, describing the murder as a “cold, calculated, organized plan” aimed at intimidating federal employees. They highlighted Mohn’s online writings, which contained violent anti-government rhetoric dating back several years, and a USB drive found in his possession containing photos of federal buildings and apparent instructions for making explosives. Mohn was apprehended later the same day after scaling a fence at Fort Indiantown Gap, the Pennsylvania National Guard headquarters, where prosecutors say he called for others to join him in an attempt to overthrow the government.
The victim’s family and friends provided impact statements, remembering Michael Mohn as a loving husband and father with a passion for reading, exercising, and playing the guitar. District Attorney Schorn acknowledged the verdict provided a measure of justice but recognized it would never fully heal the family’s wounds.
Mohn’s attorney, Steven M. Jones, called the case “undoubtedly difficult,” noting the prosecution initially sought the death penalty.
He declined to comment on a possible appeal. In addition to the murder conviction, Mohn was also found guilty of several other charges, including possession of an instrument of crime, gun charges, terroristic threats, and abuse of a corpse.
The YouTube video included rants about various political topics, and Mohn referred to his father, a 20-year employee of the US Army Corps of Engineers, as a traitor. Last year, a judge ruled Mohn competent to stand trial despite a defense expert revealing Mohn had written a letter to the Russian ambassador seeking refuge and apologizing to Vladimir Putin.