Pennsylvania Judge Convicted of Attempted Murder in Shooting of Sleeping Ex-Boyfriend

By Devin Breitenberg

In a shocking case that has gripped the nation, Sonya McKnight, a former magisterial judge in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was convicted on April 9, 2025, of attempted murder and aggravated assault for shooting her ex-boyfriend, Michael McCoy, in the head as he slept. The verdict, delivered after a swift deliberation of less than two hours by a jury from Delaware County, marks a dramatic fall from grace for McKnight, who had served as an elected judge since 2016. She now faces up to 60 years in prison when sentenced on May 28, 2025.

The incident occurred in the early hours of February 10, 2024, at McCoy’s home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, days after he ended their one-year relationship and repeatedly asked McKnight to move out. According to court documents, McCoy, 54, had taken steps to reclaim his space, including taking back his house key, only to find McKnight inside his home after she used a spare. On the night of the shooting, McCoy testified that McKnight asked, “Oh, so you’re serious?” about his intent to end the relationship, a moment he believed signalled her acceptance. He went to bed around 11 p.m., thinking the matter was settled.

Just before 1 a.m., McCoy awoke in agony, unable to see, with what he described as “massive head pain.” A bullet had entered his right temple and exited his left, leaving him blind in one eye. McKnight called 911, claiming she was asleep and heard him screaming, but prosecutors alleged she shot him point-blank in a fit of jealousy. McCoy repeatedly told police and medical staff, “I did not shoot myself,” and noted McKnight was the only other person in the home. Disturbingly, authorities said McKnight tried to convince McCoy he had shot himself, a claim he firmly rejected.

The prosecution’s case, led by Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack, hinged on the simplicity of the circumstances. “There were two people in that house, and only two people in that house,” McCormack told reporters after the verdict. “And one of them, the one who was shot, said he did not shoot himself.” Forensic evidence further implicated McKnight: the gun was registered to her, and tests conducted an hour after the shooting found gunshot residue on her hands. Doorbell camera footage from neighbouring homes also contradicted her claim that she never left the house that night, suggesting she may have been checking on McCoy earlier.

McKnight’s defense attorney, Cory Leshner, argued that the presence of gunpowder residue on McCoy’s hands raised doubts about her guilt and insisted she was innocent. Leshner maintained that McCoy could not definitively identify the shooter, but the jury was unswayed, convicting McKnight on both counts after two days of testimony. Following the verdict, her bail was raised to $3 million, and she was taken into custody.

This was not McKnight’s first brush with controversy. In 2019, she shot her estranged husband in the groin after inviting him to her home to move furniture, an incident prosecutors deemed self-defense, resulting in no charges. In November 2023, McKnight was suspended without pay by Pennsylvania’s Court of Judicial Discipline for alleged ethical violations, including tampering with evidence and obstructing justice during a 2020 traffic stop involving her son, though she was acquitted of related criminal charges. The Judicial Conduct Board also accused her of misconduct, such as granting excessive vacation time to court staff and ignoring a civil complaint over a personal loan.

The case has sparked broader questions about accountability within the judiciary, particularly for elected magisterial judges in Pennsylvania, who are not required to be lawyers. McKnight’s actions have cast a shadow over the trust placed in those who uphold the law, with some observers noting the irony of a judge attempting to manipulate a crime scene to evade justice.

As McKnight awaits sentencing, Michael McCoy continues to grapple with the physical and emotional scars of the attack. His survival, described as miraculous by medical experts, underscores the gravity of the crime. Dr. Steven Allen, who treated McCoy, testified that a slight shift in the bullet’s trajectory could have been fatal. For now, the community of Harrisburg—and the nation—watches as the legal system reckons with one of its own, a judge whose betrayal of trust extended from the bench to the bedroom.

Devin Breitenberg is a legal consultant and senior counsel at Devin Law LLC and legal contributor  for Veritas Expositae.  You can reach her at devin.breitenberg@veritasexpositae.com