A SICK man who slashed his dad’s head with a machete and brazenly displayed it in a chilling 14-minute-long video has been sentenced to life.
Justin D. Mohn, 33, was found guilty of shooting his father dead at their home in Philadelphia.
Prosecutors said Mohn shot his father, Michael F. Mohn, 68, with a newly purchased pistol.
He then decapitated him with a kitchen knife and a machete and posted it on YouTube.
The 14-minute video he posted was live for several hours before it was removed.
Bucks County Judge Stephen A. Corr sentenced Mohn to life without parole.
Following the sentencing, Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn addressed the press, stating that Mohn showed a “complete and utter lack of remorse,” describing the act as an “unimaginable, unfathomable crime.”
“We are satisfied that this was the right outcome to guarantee that the community at large is safe from Justin Mohn,” Schorn said.
Mohn testified during the trial that he shot his father while trying to “arrest him” on what he said were “false statements and treason”.
But his father resisted, so he fired at him, the court heard.
Mohn said he severed his head to send a message to federal workers to meet his demands, which included their resignation, among other things.
He was arrested later on the day of the murder, after scaling a fence at Fort Indiantown Gap, the state’s National Guard headquarters.
Prosecutors said he called for others to join him in attempting to overthrow the US government.
He had a USB device containing photos of federal buildings and apparent instructions for making explosives when he was arrested, authorities said.
He also expressed violent anti-government rhetoric in writings he published online, going back several years.
During the victim impact statements presented in court on Friday, family members and others depicted Michael Mohn as a devoted husband and father, characterized by his humility and humor. They remembered him as someone who enjoyed reading, exercising, and playing the guitar.
Throughout the trial, testimony was given by Justin Mohn’s mother. She recounted how police had visited the home he shared with his parents, issuing a warning regarding his online activities before the incident occurred.
Denice Mohn testified that she and her husband had been offering financial support and guidance as their son Justin looked for a job.
“It’s unimaginable what the defendant did to his father and to his family,” Schorn said.
“I know this verdict does provide some level of justice, but it will never heal their wounds.”
Mohn was also convicted of possession of an instrument of crime, gun charges, criminal use of a communication facility, terroristic threats, defiant trespassing, and abuse of a corpse.
Prosecutors described the homicide as something straight out of a horror film.
They called it a “cold, calculated, and organised plan”.
Evidence presented at the trial included graphic photos and the video posted to YouTube.
The judge warned members of the public at the trial about the images and said they could leave before the photos were shown.
The proceedings are known as a bench trial, with only a judge, not a jury.
During a competency hearing last year, a defence expert said Mohn wrote a letter to Russia‘s ambassador to the United States seeking to strike a deal to give Mohn refuge and apologising to President Vladimir Putin for claiming to be the czar of Russia.
The judge ruled Mohn was competent to stand trial.
CHILLING VIDEO
Justin Mohn posted a 14-minute video on YouTube, titled Mohn’s Militia – Call to Arms for American Patriots, in which he holds up his father’s decapitated head.
The son is seen wearing rubber gloves that were later found at the crime scene, according to the complaint.
A detective from the Middletown Township Police Department told The U.S. Sun that Mohn was seemingly reading from a manifesto as he went on a tirade, which included right-wing conspiracy theories.
Mohn called his father a “traitor” in the video, which gained more than 5,000 views and was up for six hours before being taken off the platform.
“Satan wants America to fall so he can unleash his plan on the world,” said Mohn.
“I and many other leaders know how to fix America, but we have to fight for it.”
Mohn claimed he had been “betrayed” by the FBI and his own family before calling himself “the messiah.”
“This belief that I am the messiah is why you have never heard this story on the news, because it would spread that belief.
“I’m not saying I am the messiah, as I would never compare myself to Jesus Christ. I’m just saying, that’s why I was betrayed,” Mohn continued during the deranged rant.
Mohn ended the video with quotes from the Bible.
MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY
Mohn described himself as a musician, producer, and author with seven books under his name.
His author page on Amazon says he wants “to bring positive change to the world.”
“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 description reads.
In his songs, which can be found on Spotify under his name, Mohn decries the government and his feelings of loneliness.
Middletown Township Police Chief Joe Bartorilla said on Tuesday night that Mohn’s family was made aware of the disturbing YouTube video.
“I know he has siblings,” Bartorilla said.
“We have told (the victim’s wife) to notify them before they see the video, or the video is sent to them.”
When asked if Mohn had a history of mental illness, Bartorilla said, “I’ll just take a guess, without knowing for sure, I’ll say yeah.
“We’re getting contacted by some people in the community who know us, and know him and his family.
“And we’re hearing a lot. Obviously, he’s well known in the community just by the calls we’re getting.”
