The Middletown man accused of shooting his father in the head then decapitating him on Tuesday “was of clear mind and proud of the consequences,” said Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn, during a press conference Friday about the gruesome crime.
Justin Mohn, 32, who lived with his parents on Upper Orchard Drive in the Levittown section of the township, allegedly shot his 68-year-old father, Michael Mohn, in the head then used a knife and machete to sever his head.
In a 14-minute video, where he displayed the wrapped head, Justin Mohn railed against the federal government and called for the “capture and torture” of federal officials, IRS employees, FBI agents and others, said Schorn. The video, posted on YouTube, had more than 5,000 views before being taken down, the DA said.
The elder Mohn was a civil engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Justin Mohn’s clarity of mind, said Schorn, is demonstrated in part by his surrendering his medical marijuana card before buying a gun the day before the killing. He bought the gun legally, she said, but relinquishing the card was a necessary step in doing so.
The video too, she said, further indicates his intentions.
“It was evident to us that he was of clear mind in his purpose and what he was doing, aside from what his beliefs are, he was of clear mind doing this,” said Schorn.
Police tracked Mohn’s phone to Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County, where he drove after the alleged murder. He intended to “mobilize” Pennsylvania National Guard members at the military compound, said Schorn. He did not resist being taken into custody, police said.
Mohn had “no history of diagnosed mental health issues,” the DA said.
Mohn is being held without bail in the Bucks County Correctional Facility. He is charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and possession of an instrument of crime. Additional charges may be filed, said Schorn, as the investigation is ongoing.
Both Schorn and Middletown Township Police Chief Joe Bartorilla offered their sympathy to the Mohn family. “We’ll be with them every step of the way,” said Bartorilla.
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