Josiah Kenyon

Case Summary

Josiah Kenyon allegedly stormed the U.S. Capitol building in costume. The criminal complaint details images of him dressed as Jack Skellington, from the film *The Nightmare before Christmas* -- with the addition of a red Make America Great Again hat. Court documents allege that Kenyon attempted to break a Capitol window with a flagstaff and assaulted law enforcement officers with several objects, including a broken table leg with a nail protruding from it. The FBI had asked for help identifying Kenyon from footage of the riot, and ultimately, it was the Jack Skellington costume that led several witnesses to say that they had seen him on the grounds of the Capitol; on the Washington, D.C., Metro; and at a motel in Springfield, Va., on or around Jan. 6, 2021, court documents indicate. According to court records, two more witnesses, including one relative, positively identified Kenyon from a photograph, and the criminal complaint alleges that FBI agents ultimately confirmed that his bank records and fare purchases at the Metro were consistent with his travel to the site of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.

Case History

Kenyon pleaded Guilty to one charge: Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon. The other charges are dismissed. Sentenced on 4/11/2023 to 72 Months Incarceration; 36 Months Of Supervised Release; Special Assessment Of $200; Restitution Of $43,315.25 for damage to a Capitol window. Kenyon received a full pardon on January 20, 2025

Sources

• Primary Documentation
  NPR Jan. 6 Defendant DatabaseNPR
• Primary Documentation
  Underlying court recordCourt record linked by NPR

Case summary, charges, procedural updates and image are drawn from the NPR Jan. 6 archive snapshot dated 2026-09-25 unless otherwise indicated.