HARRISBURG, PA — Wednesday — A Dauphin County magisterial district judge was convicted of attempted murder and aggravated assault after shooting a man in the head while he slept at his Harrisburg home in early 2024, a jury in Lancaster County found this week.
Key Points
- Judge Sonya McKnight was found guilty Wednesday of attempted murder and aggravated assault.
- McKnight shot the victim in the head while he was asleep in his bed on Feb. 10, 2024.
- The case was prosecuted by Cumberland County due to conflicts of interest in Dauphin County and the Attorney General’s Office.
The jury reached a verdict on April 9 following two days of testimony in the trial of Sonya McKnight, 58, who was convicted in the February 10, 2024, shooting of her then-boyfriend, Michael McCoy. The shooting took place in the early morning hours at McCoy’s home on Saddle Ridge Drive in Susquehanna Township.
Prosecutors said McKnight shot McCoy in the head while he was asleep in bed. The bullet entered the right side of his face, passed behind and slightly below both eyes, and exited the left side. McCoy survived but lost sight in one eye.
Cumberland County assumed case due to conflict
Due to McKnight’s position as a Dauphin County judge, the local District Attorney’s Office recused itself from the case. District Attorney Fran Chardo cited a conflict of interest and requested the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office to take over. When the Attorney General’s Office also declined for similar reasons, the case was transferred to the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office under Pennsylvania law.
District Attorney Seán McCormack and First Assistant District Attorney Courtney Hair LaRue led the prosecution. The trial was presided over by Judge Howard F. Knisely.
Shooting follows prior domestic incident
McKnight had previously been involved in another shooting incident involving her estranged husband, which was determined to be an act of self-defense.
However, in the current case, prosecutors argued McKnight intended to kill McCoy.
Authorities credited Det. Sgt. Lee Tarasi of the Susquehanna Township Police Department as lead investigator. The District Attorney’s Office also acknowledged the efforts of Adrianne Vaughn, Director of Victim Services, and thanked the jurors for their service during the trial.