A Pennsylvania judge was found guilty this week of attempted murder and aggravated assault stemming from the February 20, 2024, shooting of her ex-boyfriend at his home in Susquehanna Township.
Sonya McKnight, a Dauphin County magisterial judge, was found guilty of shooting the victim in the head while he was sleeping, according to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, which handled the case after the Dauphin County DA’s office said it had a conflict of interest.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, McKnight and the victim, Michael McCoy, had been dating for a about a year, but on February 4, McCoy told the judge he was ending the relationship and asked her to move out. She refused.
McCoy said that on February 9, he went out to dinner and thought that McKnight was following him. Police said they obtained evidence that confirmed his suspicions.
When he arrived home that night, however, McKnight was sleeping on his counch. She asked to talk with him, but he said they could talk tomorrow. An hour or so later, he went to sleep. only to wake up later with “massive head pain” unable to see.
Officials said they arrived and found that he had been shot at close range on the right side of his face, with the bullet traveling behind and slightly below his eyes, exiting on the left side. He was left blind in one eye as a result.
McKnight was suspended without pay in 2023 over allegations of misconduct. She was also involved in a shooting incident with her estranged husband in 2019, but prosecutors cited self-defense and did not charge her.
The jury deliberated for about two hours before returning guilty verdicts on both charges, WHP reported. She was ordered held on a $3 million bail pending her sentencing, which was set for May 28.
McKnight did not testify at the trial, although McCoy did. Her attorney said he plans to appeal.
