A Pennsylvania judge, Sonya McKnight, 58, was found guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault. Back in February, McKnight shot her boyfriend, a 55-year-old man, in the head while he slept. This left him permanently blind in one eye.
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According to a press release issued by the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office, the incident took place on Saturday, February 10, 2024. While at the victim's residence in Harrisburg, McKnight shot her then-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, in the head while he was sleeping.
"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 release reads. "The victim survived the gunshot wound but is blind in one eye as a result."
According to WHP, who reviewed court documents, McCoy had ended her relationship with McKnight only six days before the shooting. McKnight, however, refused to leave his house multiple times. Police later confirmed that McKnight had been following McCoy on February 9. When he arrived home, he found McKnight sleeping on the couch, as per The Associated Press.
At the time, McCoy told McKnight that he planned to call her mother so they could both make her leave his house. "Michael McCoy stated that it was like she finally understood that it was over," a police affidavit reads.
Investigation And Conviction
Hours later, on February 10, McCoy woke up to a "massive head pain," as per court documents. McKnight allegedly asked McCoy, "Mike, what did you do to yourself?" She would later call 911, while hiding the truth behind the shooting, she told the dispatcher that McCoy couldn't see and needed assistance. McKnight, however, couldn't explain what happened to the dispatcher, only insisted she woke up to McCoy's screaming.
According to Law & Crime, police found evidence that McKnight had actually shot McCoy. Not only was the gun used to shoot McCoy registered in her name, but gunshot residue was also found on her hand.
This eventually led to McKnight's arrest, and police charged her with attempted murder and aggravated assault. The Cumbertland County District Attorney's Office assumed authority on the case's investigation and prosecution as Sonya McKnight is a Magisterial District Judge in Dauphin County.
On April 9, 2025, after two days of testimony, a jury found Sonya McKnight guilty of attempted murder and aggravated assault. According to PennLive, McKnight was transported to another county for incarceration. This is because she sent many suspects to Dauphin County Prison while she remained a judge.
Sonya McKnight has been embroiled in controversy throughout the years. In 2019, she shot her estranged husband in the groin. An investigation determined that the shooting was in self-defense. A year later, McKnight was charged with obstruction and tampering with evidence in connection with her son's arrest. In 2023, she was suspended without pay by the Judicial Conduct Board of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
