A Pennsylvania judge faces potentially long sentences after being found guilty on Wednesday, April 9, of shooting her former boyfriend in the head while he was asleep. The jury took two hours to deliberate before convicting Sonya M. McKnight, 58, of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
McKnight, who has served as a magisterial district judge in Dauphin County since 2016, was immediately detained following the trial. The defense’s request for her release was denied by the presiding judge. Due to her previous role sentencing individuals to Dauphin County Prison, she was transported for incarceration outside the county.
The incident occurred in February 2024 after McKnight’s boyfriend at the time, Michael McCoy, 54, decided to end their year-long relationship and asked her to vacate his residence in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. McKnight initially consented, according to testimony at the trial.
Prosecutors from the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, due to conflicts in Dauphin County, argued that McKnight was dissatisfied with being asked to leave. Evidence presented showed that on February 10, 2024, McKnight shot McCoy while he was asleep at his home in Susquehanna Township.
McCoy testified that he awoke with a “massive head pain” and realized he had lost his vision. The bullet entered the right side of his face, traveled through his head, and exited on the left. The injury resulted in permanent blindness in his right eye.
During his testimony, McCoy stated that McKnight was the only other person in the home during the shooting. He recalled her asking, “Oh, so you’re serious?” in response to his request for her to leave.
Police reports indicate that McKnight called 911 after the shooting, claiming she was asleep and awoken by McCoy’s screams, unable to explain the situation to the operator.
Detective Sergeant Lee Tarasi from the Susquehanna Police Department led the investigation, which gathered substantial evidence against McKnight. A gun registered to her was found at the scene, and forensic tests identified gunshot residue on her hands an hour after the incident. The shot was fired from approximately one foot away from McCoy’s head.
Both McCoy and McKnight confirmed they were alone in the house when the incident took place. McCoy stated he did not shoot himself and had no suicidal intentions.
McKnight’s defense attorney questioned the sufficiency of evidence, arguing it did not conclusively prove she was the shooter. The defense highlighted that McCoy could not visually identify his assailant. However, the jury dismissed these arguments after two days of testimony.
Cumberland County District Attorney Seán McCormack, along with First Assistant District Attorney Courtney Hair LaRue, expressed satisfaction with the ruling. “The jury saw the truth and found her guilty,” McCormack stated post-verdict.
This is not McKnight’s first shooting incident. In 2019, she shot her estranged husband, Enoch McKnight, in the groin during a dispute while moving furniture. The couple had married in 2014, filed for divorce two years later, and the divorce was pending at that time. That shooting was ruled self-defense in a domestic dispute.
McKnight has been suspended without pay since November 2023 due to separate misconduct charges. Following the verdict, Judge Howard F. Knisely, who oversaw the trial, increased her bail to $3 million.
McKnight could face up to 60 years in prison for her convictions. Her sentencing is set for May 28, 2025. Her attorney has announced plans to appeal.
This case has garnered significant attention within Pennsylvania’s legal community, where McKnight served as an elected judicial official for nearly a decade before her suspension and conviction.
