Jealous Judge Shoots Sleeping Ex in the Face

It was a quiet February morning in Pennsylvania when Michael McCoy awoke to a searing pain in his head — and his life changed forever. The person accused of harming him with murderous intent? His then-girlfriend, a sitting magistrate judge.

What followed was a trial that stunned even seasoned courtroom observers.

A Sudden Violence in the Night

On Feb. 10, 2024, McCoy was asleep inside his home along Saddle Ridge Drive in Susquehanna Township when he was shot in the head at close range. The bullet entered the right side of his face, passed behind his eyes, and exited the left side. Incredibly, he survived the injury — but now lives with blindness in one eye.

Sonya McKnight, 58, was arrested by Susquehanna Township police in connection with the shooting. At the time, she was a sitting judge in Dauphin County. She had been living with McCoy, but their relationship had recently soured, according to prosecutors. They argued during trial that McCoy had asked McKnight to leave the home — a request she allegedly didn't take well.

What the Jury Heard

According to WHYY, prosecutors painted a picture of a jealous partner who "didn't like" being asked to leave. During the trial, McCoy testified that he was not suicidal and that McKnight was the only other person in the house when he was shot.

Although McCoy could not identify the shooter — he awoke after the gunshot, unable to see — circumstantial evidence led the jury to convict McKnight after just two hours of deliberation. The prosecution noted that there were no signs of forced entry, no other suspects, and no weapons reported stolen or missing.

In April 2025, McKnight was found guilty of first-degree attempted murder and aggravated assault. She was sentenced in May to 13.5 to 30 years in prison by an out-of-county judge.

A Complicated Legal Past

McKnight was no stranger to legal scrutiny even before the 2024 shooting. In 2019, she shot her estranged husband, Enoch McKnight, during an altercation. However, prosecutors declined to charge her after determining she acted in self-defense.

Additionally, she had been suspended from the bench without pay in November 2023 after the Court of Judicial Discipline found she violated prior conditions stemming from a separate 2020 case involving a traffic stop with her son. She was acquitted of criminal charges in that case, but judicial oversight flagged her for missing court dates and using her position to promote products on social media.

Still Proclaiming Innocence

Despite the conviction, McKnight has maintained her innocence. Her attorney announced an appeal is underway. According to the Associated Press, at her sentencing, the presiding judge told her she was "totally without remorse" — a statement that underscored the court's perception of her demeanor throughout the proceedings.

McCoy is still recovering. He's alive but forever changed by what happened that night. And McKnight? She's now a former judge serving a decades-long sentence for a crime she insists she didn't commit.

For now, the legal system has had its say — but the appeals process may still alter McKnight's fate. As it stands, justice has been served in the eyes of the jury, but the story is far from over.

References: He Tried to End Things with His Judge Girlfriend. She Shot Him in the Head as He Slept — and She Just Learned Her Fate | Ex-Pennsylvania Judge Gets Prison Term for Shooting and Wounding Her Ex-Boyfriend as He Slept | Former Dauphin County Judge Sentenced for Attempted Murder | Ex-Pennsylvania judge gets prison term for shooting and wounding her ex-boyfriend as he slept