Terrorism charges filed against Pennsylvania man accused of beheading father, trespassing at Fort Indiantown Gap
BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Multiple terrorism charges were filed Thursday against the Bucks County man arrested at Fort Indiantown Gap, Lebanon County after allegedly decapitating his father.
Bucks County District Attorney Jen Schorn says Justin Mohn made a YouTube video with his father’s severed head and stated he wanted to torture federal employees by mobilizing the Pennsylvania National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap.
Mohn, 32, now faces charges that include terrorism, two additional counts of possession of an instrument of crime, and one count each of robbery, firearms not to be carried without a license, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, criminal use of a communication facility, terroristic threats, and defiant trespassing.
The terrorism charges cite statutes for intimidation or coercion of the civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, and affecting the conduct of a government.
Mohn was arrested and originally charged with first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse, and possession of an instrument of crime in the Jan. 30 killing of his father, according to charging documents.
Mohn is currently locked up in Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail and awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 2.
According to police, officers responded to the 100 block of Upper Orchard Drive at around 7 p.m. on January 30 after Michael Mohn’s wife called 911 to report the discovery of her husband Michael’s bloody and decapitated body found inside the upstairs bathroom of their family home.
When officers arrived at the scene, they located the body of Michael Mohn and declared him deceased. Police say in a criminal complaint that a machete and a large kitchen knife were found at the scene and the victim’s head was wrapped in plastic inside a cooking pot.
Michael Mohn was a federal employee with the Army Corps of Engineers and had been shot in the head prior to the decapitation.
Police say after the beheading, Justin Mohn posted a disturbing video online depicting the brutal murder of his father. The video was reportedly viewed at least 5,000 times before it was taken down.
Parts of the more than 14 minute video titled “Mohn’s Militia – Call to Arms for American patriots” are still surfacing online where Mohn identifies himself and appears to show off his father’s decapitated head to the camera saying “he is now in hell for eternity.”
The video also included calls to torture and execute federal officials, including judges, FBI agents, IRS employees, and Border Patrol officers, among others.
District Attorney Schorn says they believe Justin Mohn was of “clear mind” at the time of the crime.
Mohn was later arrested at Fort Indiantown Gap in Lebanon County more than 100 miles from the Bucks County crime scene.
The Pennsylvania Department of Military Affairs tells abc27 that Mohn’s phone pinged in the vicinity of the Indiantown Gap Cemetery around 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Fort Indiantown Gap Police searched the area and two area businesses were asked to go on lockdown.
Mohn’s abandoned vehicle was found near a front gate and the cell phone continued to ping inside the base. Officials say Mohn was armed with a loaded Sig Sauger 9mm pistol and climbed over a fence into the base before being taken into custody.
Officials also say Mohn had previously surrendered his medical marijuana card to lawfully obtain the firearm recovered at Fort Indiantown Gap. Officials say the gun was purchased the day before Michael Mohn was found deceased.
Middletown Township Police say they had two direct contacts with Justin Mohn in previous years. In 2011 Justin Mohn reported an argument in his driveway but there were no charges filed. In 2019 Justin Mohn also called police regarding an alleged threat he received from an insurance employee in Ohio.
Police had also received a call from Justin Mohn’s employer regarding concerns over his behavior, but no police action was taken.
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