Suspended Dauphin County Magistrate Judge Sonya McKnight was convicted Wednesday of attempted murder and aggravated assault for shooting her ex-boyfriend in the head as he slept.
McKnight, a Dauphin County judge since 2016 and a Democrat, carried out the heinous act days after her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, ended their relationship.
The incident, which unfolded in February 2024, stemmed from a bitter breakup. McKnight, 58, had been living in her ex-boyfriend Michael McCoy’s home but refused to leave despite his repeated demands after their relationship ended.
Prosecutors revealed that McKnight, consumed by jealousy, crept into McCoy’s bedroom in the early morning hours and fired a single shot into his head. The bullet tore through his face, resulting in permanent blindness in his right eye.
Evidence presented at trial included gunshot residue found on McKnight’s hands and a firearm registered in her name discovered at the scene.
McCoy testified that McKnight was the only other person present in the home at the time of the shooting.
She now faces up to 60 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for May 28.
People reported:
McCoy told detectives that he had been asleep for an hour or so before waking up “with massive head pain” and could not see, police said in an affidavit, per the outlet.
According to NBC affiliate WGAL, McCoy testified on April 8 that he tried to get McKnight to move out of his home “numerous times.”
“Oh, so you’re serious?” was reportedly the last thing McCoy heard from McKnight before he went to bed and woke up in pain from the gunshot.
McKnight’s defense attorney argued that the judge being the only person at home during the shooting was not enough evidence to prove she was guilty.
Attorney Cory Leshner also argued that the highest concentration of gunpowder residue was found on McCoy’s hands, per the outlet.
Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office released the following statement:
On April 9, 2025, after hearing two days of testimony, the jury found Sonya McKnight guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
Charges stem from an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 10, 2024, at the residence of the victim, on Saddle Ridge Drive, Harrisburg, PA (Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County).
McKnight shot the victim in the head while the victim was sleeping in bed. The bullet entered the right side of the victim’s face, traversed through his head in a straight line behind and slightly below his eyes and exited the left side of his face.
The victim survived the gunshot wound but is blind in one eye as a result. The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office assumed jurisdiction of this investigation on the request of Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo because McKnight is a Magisterial District Judge in Dauphin County.
Mr. Chardo indicated his office had a conflict of interest and could not prosecute the case.
He requested the Attorney General’s Office to accept jurisdiction over the investigation. Attorney General Michelle A. Henry also indicated that her office also had a conflict of interest and could not accept the case.
As a result, consistent with Pennsylvania law, Fran Chardo requested that the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office assume authority over the investigation and prosecution.
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