HARRISBURG, PA – Magisterial District Judge Sonya M. McKnight, 57, faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault after allegedly shooting her boyfriend, Michael McCoy, 54, in the face while he slept. The incident occurred in the early hours of February 10 at McCoy’s residence in the 200 block of Saddle Ridge Drive, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Authorities took McKnight into custody on Friday afternoon, as announced by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors allege that McKnight shot McCoy in the head as he slept, with the bullet traveling through his head and exiting the other side, leaving him blind in one eye. The Cumberland County DA’s Office is leading the investigation into the attack, taking over from Dauphin County due to a conflict of interest cited by Dauphin County DA Fran Chardo, given McKnight’s role as a magisterial district judge in the county.
The case presents a complex legal scenario, as both the state Attorney General’s Office and the Dauphin County DA’s Office have declared conflicts of interest in prosecuting McKnight. The investigation continues as authorities piece together the circumstances leading to the violent incident.