DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Bucks County judge has determined that the 32-year-old man accused of killing and beheading his father in their Levittown home, then posting a lengthy video to YouTube calling his militia to arms, is mentally competent to stand trial.
Prosecutors say, on Jan. 30, Justin Mohn posted a 14 ½-minute video on YouTube, in which he claimed he’d just killed his father, saying:
“This is the head of Mike Moen, a federal employee of over 20 years, and my father.”
He was taken into custody later that night on the grounds of the National Guard Training Center in Fort Indiantown Gap, where prosecutors say he was trying to mobilize the Guard members to topple the federal government.
Mohn’s lawyer called a forensic psychiatrist who said he believes Mohn would be unable to participate in his own defense.
The defendant often rolled his eyes or shook his head as his lawyer asked questions to the expert, who testified Mohn is delusional and believes he is the messiah, a King David figure, sent to save America from Satanism and Communism.
The defense expert quoted from several letters Mohn wrote in prison, including one he sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling him the most important person on the planet, saying he and Putin could have a mutually beneficial relationship. In the letter, Mohn apologized to Putin for trying to overthrow him and offered to help him with propaganda in exchange for political asylum.
Mohn also wrote to Gov. Josh Shapiro, asking for a pardon — adding that an ice cream machine at the prison would keep corrections officers happy.
Prosecutors argued Mohn is able to work with a defense attorney, but he was just unwilling to work with the one he’d been assigned. The prosecution presented their own psychiatrist. Mohn vigorously nodded as the prosecution expert testified Mohn is not delusional, rather he felt his lawyer was pushing him into a mental health defense he didn’t want.
In the end, the judge agreed with prosecutors, ruling Mohn is competent to stand trial.
Investigators say Mohn has a history of railing against the government and espousing conspiracy theories. In a 2020 online pamphlet, he tried to make the case that there should be a “bloody revolution” against those who were born before 1991 — the year he was born. He also encouraged the killing of family members and public officials.
Mohn faces more than a dozen charges. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 22.