Two US Men Convicted of Familial Decapitation Murders in Pennsylvania, South Dakota

Justin D. Mohn, a Pennsylvania man, was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of fatally shooting and then decapitating his father, Michael F. Mohn, in a premeditated act that he recorded and posted on YouTube. Mohn claimed he attempted a "citizen's arrest" on his father for alleged treason and false statements, but when his father resisted, he shot him and subsequently beheaded him to send a political message demanding federal workers' resignation. Prosecutors described the crime as cold and calculated, highlighting Mohn's anti-government rhetoric, possession of explosive-making instructions, and a plan to incite an overthrow of the government. Separately, in South Dakota, Bowen Fladland was charged with first- and second-degree murder after he confessed to kneeling on his mother's neck until she died and then decapitating her, following a history of escalating abuse documented in court records. Both cases involve extreme familial violence marked by decapitation and have shocked their respective communities due to the brutal nature and underlying personal and political motives. Authorities continue to investigate the motives behind these disturbing crimes, underscoring the severe consequences of domestic violence and radicalized beliefs.