On Thursday, April 10, 2025, the New York Daily News reported that Pennsylvania Judge Sonya McKnight was found guilty of shooting her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, while he slept at his home in Susquehanna Township. The incident occurred during the early hours of February 10, 2024, and resulted in McCoy losing vision in one eye.

The jury’s decision came after two days of testimony, culminating in a verdict of attempted murder and aggravated assault. The jury, composed of six men and six women from Delaware County, reached their decision in less than two hours. The Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office announced the verdict in a press release shortly after the jury’s deliberation.

McKnight, who is a suspended magisterial district judge in Dauphin County, faces a potential sentence of up to 60 years in prison. She is scheduled for sentencing on May 28, 2025. Following the verdict, McKnight was taken into custody and transported to Dauphin County Jail after the trial judge denied a defense request for her release.

According to police reports, the shooting happened after McCoy attempted to end their one-year relationship. He had reportedly made several attempts to have McKnight move out of his residence. On the night prior to the shooting, McCoy returned home to find her on the couch. Believing their relationship had come to an end, he went to bed around 11 p.m. However, he awoke just before 1 a.m. to severe pain, having been shot in the right temple.

The bullet entered McCoy’s face, traversed through his skull, and exited through the left side, causing significant injuries. This incident is not McKnight’s first encounter with legal issues. In November 2023, she was suspended without pay by the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board due to multiple allegations of misconduct, including evidence tampering and obstructing justice.

Previously, in 2019, McKnight was accused of shooting her estranged husband at her Harrisburg residence. Although she was placed on leave during that investigation, prosecutors chose not to file charges, citing potential self-defense.

 

 

Source: New York Daily News