Bucks Co. Beheader 1st Found Guilty Under PA Terrorism Statute

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The man who killed and beheaded his father in their Middletown Township home last year was the first person found guilty in the state under Pennsylvania's terrorism statute, authorities said.

Justin Mohn, 33, of Middletown Township, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday.

In January 2024, Mohn beheaded his father, Michael Mohn, and posted a disturbing video on YouTube, displaying his father’s decapitated head and calling for violent attacks against federal government officials.

Mohn was also convicted of two counts of terrorism, marking the first time a defendant has been found guilty of the crime under Pennsylvania's terrorism statute, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.

Hours after the murder, investigators tracked his cellphone to the National Guard Training Center in Fort Indiantown Gap, Lebanon County. He was apprehended there after attempting to enter the secure military installation in a warped attempt to mobilize the National Guard against the federal government.

He was found with a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and camping and survival gear.

Authorities said Mohn's online search history and electronic devices revealed that Mohn had been planning the violent events for at least five years, with searches for purchasing handguns, sound levels of gunshots, and bullet penetration of skulls.

His writings included a "battle plan," instructions for building explosives, research on federal buildings and terrorists like Timothy McVeigh, and "bounty posters" targeting politicians, judges, and federal employees he deemed traitors, authorities said.