Former Dauphin County Judge Sonya McKnight is set to be sentenced today (May 28) after being convicted of attempted murder and aggravated assault. McKnight was found guilty of shooting her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, in the head while he slept in February 2024. The incident occurred at McCoy's home in Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
According to the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office, McKnight shot McCoy in the face, leaving him partially blind. The jury reached a guilty verdict after two days of testimony, deliberating for about an hour and a half. McKnight, who was a magisterial district judge since 2016, was taken into custody on a three-million-dollar bail after her conviction.
The prosecution, led by Cumberland County District Attorney Seán McCormack, argued that McKnight shot McCoy after he attempted to end their one-year relationship. During the trial, McCoy testified that he awoke to severe pain and blindness, with McKnight being the only other person in the house. A gun registered to McKnight was found at the scene, and she had gunshot residue on her hands shortly after the incident, as reported by AOL.
McKnight's defense argued that the presence of gunshot residue on McCoy's hands suggested another possibility, but the jury found McKnight guilty. The case was prosecuted by the Cumberland County District Attorney's Office due to conflicts of interest in Dauphin County, as noted by WGAL.
McKnight, who previously faced a similar incident involving her estranged husband in 2019, now faces up to 60 years in prison. The sentencing will determine her fate following the conviction for the February 2024 shooting.