A Pennsylvania man who decapitated his father last year and displayed his severed head in a YouTube video — saying his father had interfered with his plot to overthrow the government — was convicted Friday on murder and terrorism charges and sentenced to life without parole.
The man, Justin Mohn, 33, admitted during his trial in the Court of Common Pleas in Bucks County that he shot his father, Michael, 68, in the head at their suburban Philadelphia home on Jan. 30, 2024, and used a kitchen knife and a machete to decapitate him.
Taking the stand in his own defense, Mr. Mohn appeared to show little remorse for the killing, which drew national attention and further scrutiny to violent content on YouTube.
The video remained online for about five hours and received more than 5,000 views before YouTube removed it.
In his testimony and public comments before his trial, Mr. Mohn said that he was making a citizens arrest and that his father, who had spent many years working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, had betrayed him.
Jennifer Schorn, the Bucks County district attorney, said during a news conference on Friday, that it was unfathomable that Mr. Mohn could take his father’s life in the home where he and his siblings were raised and loved by their parents.
“But then to know that he took time to sever his father’s head so that he could then create a video and share that video with countless people for one purpose,” she said, “to make sure that that video was a clear political statement that he hoped would incite violence and inflict terror to many many individuals.”
Ms. Schorn added, “We must never forget the depravity of his actions.”
Prosecutors said that Mr. Mohn had intended to create a militia to help him assassinate federal officials and judges whom he viewed as hostile to his way of life as a straight, white, Christian man.
Steven M. Jones, a lawyer for Mr. Mohn, said in an email on Friday that his client had avoided the death penalty, one possible outcome that prosecutors ultimately did not pursue.
“The defense respects the court’s verdict,” Mr. Jones said.
Mr. Jones said that he could not comment about whether Mr. Mohn would appeal the verdict.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Mr. Mohn offered an apology to his family during the trial, but only when he was prompted by his lawyer.
“I don’t feel guilty for what I did,” he said, “but I am sorry my family went through what they did because of the federal government’s actions and my reaction to it.”
After a five-day bench trial, Judge Stephen A. Corr found Mr. Mohn guilty of first- and second-degree murder, two terrorism counts, making terroristic threats and abusing a corps, among other charges.
The judge, who sentenced Mr. Mohn to two concurrent sentences of life without parole, excoriated Mr. Mohn and questioned his mental state, even though he had been found fit to stand trial, The Inquirer reported.
“Just because our laws say you are competent to stand trial,” the judge said, “doesn’t mean you don’t suffer from some kind of mental infirmity.”
In the YouTube video, Mr. Mohn promoted conspiratorial and anti-government views and briefly showed what he claimed was his father’s head wrapped in plastic.
At the time, YouTube confirmed that it had taken down the video because it violated the company’s graphic violence policy. It also terminated Mr. Mohn’s channel for violating its violent extremism policies.
YouTube said it was monitoring for any re-uploads of the video to prevent it from resurfacing.
The company did not immediately respond on Friday to a request for comment about the Mr. Mohn’s conviction.
Neil Vigdor covers breaking news for The Times, with a focus on politics.
Hannah Ziegler is a general assignment reporter for The Times, covering topics such as crime, business, weather, pop culture and online trends.
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