Justin Mohn, who showcased father's beheading in YouTube video, had 'clear mind' DA says

Note: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence that may be offensive to readers.

Officials say a Pennsylvania man who police say decapitated his father and held his head up in a video posted to YouTube while calling for the public execution of government employees knew what he was doing.

Justin Mohn acted "with clear mind, aware of his actions and proud of his consequences," Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said at a press conference on Friday.

"It was evident to us that he was of clear mind in his purpose and what he was doing," Schorn said. "That's an important fact to us in his prosecution."

On Tuesday evening, authorities were called to the Levittown home of 32-year-old Mohn after his mother discovered the decapitated body of his father Michael Mohn in the bathroom of the first floor. Levittown is a suburb around 25 miles northeast of Philadelphia's center.

Officers found the head wrapped in plastic inside a large pot, a machete and large kitchen knife in the bathtub, according to court documents.

Justin Mohn faces charges of first-degree murder, possession of an instrument of crime, and abuse of a corpse.

In a grisly 14-minute video posted to YouTube on Tuesday evening, Justin Mohn held up his father's head in a plastic bag. In the video, titled “Mohn's Militia – Call to Arms for American Patriots," he called himself "the commander of America's national network of militia, also known as Mohn's militia," and called for "patriots across the USA" to publicly execute government employees for "betraying their country," Schorn said.

His father, who worked for the federal government for 20 years, "is now in hell for eternity," Justin Mohn said in the video.

Michael Mohn was a 68-year-old employee of the Army Corps of Engineers, Schorn said.

Justin Mohn also doxed the home address of a federal judge and "put a bounty" on the heads of federal government employees. While he targeted employees of the federal governments, Schorn said, his threats did not apply to state government employees.

The video posted online by Mohn racked up more than 5,000 views before YouTube removed it. "It's quite horrifying how many views we understand it had before it was taken down," Schorn said.

Authorities said Justin Mohn fled the scene in his father's white Toyota Corolla to Fort Indiantown Gap, around 100 miles away, the site of a large National Guard Training Center. He drove the vehicle through the Center's barricades and climbed a barbed wire fence. Local police were able to track him by pinging his phone and arrested him "without incident," Schorn said.

Upon his arrest, he told officers he went to the center in an attempt to convince the National Guard to take up arms against the federal government, Schorn said. "He also indicated that he wanted to speak to Governor Shapiro to join forces," she said, referring to Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

Justin Mohn was also armed with a 9mm handgun missing one round when he was arrested, Schorn said.

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Mohn legally purchased gun one day before decapitation

Justin Mohn legally purchased a firearm the day before his father's death, according to Schorn. He handed over a medical marijuana card so that he would be eligible to legally own a gun, a fact that Schorn said shows his "clear state of mind" in planning the crime. Schorn said Justin Mohn has "no history of diagnosed mental health issues."

An autopsy of the elder Mohn found that he was shot in the head before he was decapitated, Schorn said.

Middletown Township Police had two documented interactions with Justin Mohn, Chief Joseph Bartorilla said at the press conference. The first occurred in 2011, when police were called over an argument between the then 19-year-old and someone in his driveway.

In 2019, Bartorilla said, Justin Mohn called police to report threats from an employee at the insurance company Progressive, where he previously worked at a Colorado Springs office.

In 2017, he sued the insurance company for sex-based discrimination after his application for a copywriter job was denied, according to court documents. Progressive later placed him on a leave of absence after he kicked open a door, a decision that he claimed also constituted discrimination.

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Justin Mohn published books on Amazon, released albums

Justin Mohn released two musical albums in 2017 and 2018 titled “The Story of Humanity” and “Colorfunkinrado,” according to his Facebook page, “Justin Mohn -Music.”

His Amazon page, since taken down, identified him as the author of seven books, including one entitled "America's Coming Bloody Revolution."

"His life story is unbelievable and there may not be enough words to describe him, but one may begin to understand his complexity and experiences through his art," the page stated. "He only wishes to bring positive change to the world."

Court records show Justin Mohn sued the federal government twice in the last two years over student loans that he took out to earn a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management from the Pennsylvania State University in 2014. In the first lawsuit, he "blames affirmative action laws as now costing him job opportunities as an overeducated white man," according to a court memo.

Both claims were dismissed.

U.S. District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania wrote in an opinion dismissing the second suit that the federal government is "immune" from Justin Mohn's claim of fraud against the government over his student loans. The first suit, the judge wrote, was dismissed on similar grounds.

Justin Mohn is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Feb. 8 at 9:00 a.m.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her on email at cmayesosterman@usatoday.com. Follow her on X @CybeleMO.