Upper Dublin man faces trial in dad’s slaying
Son accused in 2019 brutal beating 2 days before Christmas
An Upper Dublin man accused of fatally beating his father during an altercation in their home two days before Christmas 2019 has been found competent to stand trial and has made his first appearance in county court.
Maximillian Christopher Han, 29, of the 1800 block of Hood Lane, was formally arraigned in Montgomery County Court on Friday on charges of first- and third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime, tampering with physical evidence and theft by unlawful taking in connection with the alleged Dec. 23, 2019, incident that resulted in the death of his 58-year-old father, Jinhan.
Han waived a formal reading of the charges lodged against him and through his lawyer, Joshua H. Camson, entered not guilty pleas to all the charges. Camson advised Judge William R. Carpenter he needed some time to review the prosecution’s evidence and to prepare potential “mitigation factors” related to the case.
Carpenter scheduled a pretrial conference for May, after which a trial date will likely be set.
Han’s preliminary hearing and trial had been delayed since his arrest in 2019 while court officials addressed his competency and he underwent mental health evaluations. Early on, Han was evaluated by a psychiatrist and it was determined he was not competent to proceed to trial.
Those deemed incompetent are considered to be unable to understand the nature of the charges against them or to assist in their defense.
“During that time, they continued treatment and at some point he was found to be competent,” said Assistant District Attorney Kathleen McLaughlin, explaining that finding opened the door for Han’s case to move forward.
Han had a preliminary hearing in December at which he was held for trial on all charges, setting the stage for Friday’s arraignment hearing in county court.
It is during a formal arraignment hearing that prosecutors must inform a judge if they plan to seek the death penalty for a conviction of first-degree murder.
McLaughlin, who is assisted by co-prosecutor Gabrielle Hughes, explained that based on the legal standards and the factors they can consider under the law, prosecutors are not seeking a death sentence in the event Han is convicted of first-degree murder, which is an intentional killing.
In order to obtain a death penalty, prosecutors must show that aggravating factors — circumstances that make a killing more heinous — outweigh any mitigating factors — circumstances that favor a defendant. Specifically, prosecutors have about 18 aggravating factors, under state law, which they can use to seek the death penalty.
“We are not pursuing the death penalty. He doesn’t meet any of the factors,” McLaughlin said.
With the death penalty off the table, Han will face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment if he’s convicted of first-degree murder at trial.
A conviction of third-degree murder, a killing committed with malice, carries a possible maximum sentence of 20-to-40-years in prison.
The investigation began about 1:58 p.m. Dec. 23, when Upper Dublin police responded to the Han residence for a report of “an unconscious male bleeding from his head,” according to a criminal complaint filed by county Detective John Wittenberger and Upper Dublin Detective Kevin Shanahan.
Court documents indicate the victim lived at the residence with his wife and two sons.
The victim’s wife reported she arrived at the home and found her husband bleeding from the head and immediately called 911, according to the arrest affidavit.
Arriving officers found Jinhan Han lying on the living room floor of the residence with “bleeding injuries on his face and head,” detectives alleged. Personnel from Ambler Ambulance attempted to resuscitate the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Officers observed signs of a struggle and blood at several locations within the living room of the residence,” Wittenberger and Shanahan alleged. “(Jinhan) Han’s face appeared to have sustained injuries consistent with a beating. Also inside the living room were bloodstained towels which appeared to have been used to clean the inside of the room and a plastic container with blood splatter and stains.”
Detectives observed blood smears and footprints throughout the residence, according to court papers.
“Detectives recovered a box cutter-style knife near (the victim’s) body and a butcher-style knife with a broken black tip in the kitchen,” detectives alleged, adding the victim’s wallet and cash also were found inside the home.
An autopsy determined that Jinhan Han died as a result of multiple blunt and sharp injuries and the manner of death was listed as homicide.
When detectives interviewed Maximillian Han on Dec. 23, they observed that he had “bruising, swelling and abrasions to his right hand,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Han initially told detectives that he left his home on the morning of Dec. 23 after getting “pissed off at Jinhan Han” and that he locked the door to the residence and went to the Willow Grove Park Mall and a local gym.
“Han later told detectives that he lied in his initial statement and was responsible for killing Jinhan Han,” detectives alleged in court papers. “He described using punching, striking and using the grip portion of a knife to smash (Jinhan) Han’s skull. Maximillian said he felt like an ‘MMA fighter.’”
Han also allegedly told detectives he removed his father’s cellphone and sold it at a kiosk in the mall. Han allegedly received $20 for the cellphone during the transaction, which was recorded by video surveillance, according to the criminal complaint.