Family Shares Heartbreak, Loss During Justin Mohn Sentencing

Michael Mohn in a photo displayed by authorities.

The family of Michael Mohn, 68, whose life was brutally cut short by his 33-year-old son Justin Mohn in a horrific 2024 murder, delivered emotional victim impact statements Friday.

The members of the Mohn family stood in court and painted a picture of a loving family man while sharing the profound grief and void left by his death.

Justin Mohn Gets Life In Prison For Killing, Beheading Father

Justin Mohn, of Middletown Township’s Levittown section, was sentenced to two terms of life in prison without parole for the murder, terrorism, and other charges by Court of Common Pleas Judge Stephen Corr.

Denice Mohn, Michael’s wife and Justin’s mother, thanked investigators, prosecutors, and victim advocates.

In a letter the the court, she said she lost both a husband and a son on the night of the crime.

Denice Mohn spoke of her and Michael’s planned 40th wedding anniversary in June, their dreams of traveling to Ireland, and other retirement trips.

Michael and Denise Mohn in a decade-old photo. Credit: Facebook

She remembered her late husband’s love for reading, exercising, music, family time, and dining out, noting his employer, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, honored his years of service by naming an award after him.

Denice Mohn described their life together as “comfortable and content.”

Her message to the judge was that Justin Mohn is “never given a chance to hurt anyone else or spread his hateful ideology.”

Justin Mohn sighed quietly and looked down during parts of his mother’s statement. She stood with a picture of her beloved husband.

Zachary Mohn, Justin’s brother and an engineer for the federal government like his father, described his dad as “the ultimate everyman.”

When addressing the judge, Zachary Mohn said he only fully understood his father’s impact at his job after his death.

The eldest son acknowledged that he and his siblings, including Justin Mohn, had every advantage in life, but “Justin did not find the same success.”

Zachary Mohn stated that Justin blamed everyone else for his failures and never took responsibility, a point that caused Justin Mohn to look down.

The son told the court of his parents’ continued support for Justin Mohn through his troubles and recalled his father’s words when asked why: it wasn’t easy but he needed to support his son.

Zachary Mohn called his father Justin’s “greatest benefactor and advocate,” and conveyed his family’s deep saddness, stating they are “stuck living in the reality of the tragedy.”

For his brother, Zachary Mohn called for a sentence of life with no parole. He added that his younger brother needs “permanent and irreversible incarceration.”

Stephanie Smith, Justin’s sister and Michael Mohn’s daughter, described her father as “a brilliant, unpretentious man who loved his family.”

She said that she appreciated his wit and humor.

Smith spoke of his support for his kids, his comforting hugs, and his enjoyment of bands, like Tom Petty and The Beatles.

Smith pointed to her father’s dedication as an engineer, including his work out-of-state to help people recover from Hurricane Katrina, and fondly recalled a recent family trip to the Finger Lakes. She said holidays are now “ruined” and called his death “untimely and unjust.”

Referring to Justin only as “the defendant,” Smith spoke of the pain, including the fact the video of Justin holding his father’s head was filmed in her childhood bedroom.

Michael Mohn receiving an award in 2019. Credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

As part of her victim impact statement, Smith stated her first new car, the Toyota Corolla her father kept, was in his possession because he told her it reminded him of their trip to get it.

Smith stated Justin suffered from “failure of a mission” and “wasted” what had remained of her father’s life.

Smith emphasized that Justin’s hateful views do not represent the family and urged the judge to impose a life sentence without parole.

Prosecutors read a letter from Michael Mohn’s brother, David Mohn, who was expecting Michael to fly to Florida for his 70th birthday the day after the murder.

David Mohn expressed his shock upon hearing the news from his niece and recalled regular conversations and their shared childhood bedroom.

“I miss the phone calls,” he wrote, calling Justin’s crimes “selfish and cowardly.”

Friends of Denice and Michael Mohn, who had known the couple for 40 years, wrote a letter to the court speaking about dinners together and their anticipation of spending more time with the couple in retirement.

Michael Mohn’s cousins told the judge of their struggle to comprehend and asked, “how do you make sense of such a heinous act?”

The family members remembered Michael as funny and caring from a young age, and how they bonded over music in later years.

The cousins said they were shocked to learn the victim of the news story they saw was Michael Mohn.

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said the Mohns’ “victim impact statements were so beautifully done, so heartfelt, so well prepared.”

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