HARRISBURG, Pa. — A suspended Harrisburg district judge is facing attempted murder charges after allegedly shooting her ex-boyfriend as he slept, leaving him blind in one eye.
Sonya McKnight, 57, is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault charges for her role in the Feb. 10 shooting.
Her attorney, Cory A. Leshner, said in a statement that McKnight is innocent.
"Judge McKnight is innocent of the alleged charges," Leshner said. "She did not shoot Mr. McCoy. Judge McKnight looks forward to the whole story being told. Judge McKnight intends to vigorously defend herself in this matter. She believes in the criminal justice system and once all of the facts in this matter are brought to light, she is confident that she will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
"As this matter works its way through the Court, it is important to keep in mind that Judge McKnight is innocent unless the Commonwealth can prove otherwise beyond a reasonable doubt. The charges as currently presented are merely allegations and nothing more. We ask that the public keep an open mind and reserve judgment in this case until all of the facts are presented."
According to the criminal complaint, McKnight was living full-time with her then-boyfriend, the victim of the shooting.
Court documents state that despite the victim ending his relationship with McKnight and attempting numerous times to have her leave, she either refused or would be found inside the home when the victim returned home from work.
On Feb. 5, the victim returned home to find McKnight inside his home.
When the victim confronted McKnight, asking her why she was there and how she got in, court documents state that McKnight calmly replied that she took the spare keys.
According to the criminal complaint, on Feb. 9, the victim returned home from work to find McKnight sitting on his couch in pajamas and a robe.
The victim says he told McKnight he was going out, leading her to question him as to where he was going.
Court documents state that the victim says he refused to tell her where he was going, but eventually, McKnight texted him to get her a salad "from up there." It was at this point that the victim realized she had driven by Crawdaddy's, a Harrisburg restaurant, to see if he was there.
When the victim returned home, McKnight was found to have changed into regular clothes, furthering the victim's belief she had driven by the restaurant to check on his whereabouts.
Later that evening, the victim claims McKnight accosted him, asking if they are going to talk.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim intended on calling McKnight's mother to help him remove the suspended judge. At this point, McKnight responded, "Oh, you're serious?"
Court documents state that the victim believed that McKnight finally understood the relationship was over, and he went upstairs and fell asleep.
On Feb. 10 around 12:45 a.m., the victim said he woke up with a massive head pain and that he could not see. He told authorities that he had never heard any noise prior to the pain, and that McKnight kept asking the victim what he had done to himself.
McKnight assisted the victim in what is described to be a delayed manner, according to the court documents, including avoiding the nearest bathroom and delaying when the victim asked her to call 911.
Upon arrival of EMS, officials determined the victim had suffered a single gunshot wound that entered his head in the area of his right temple, and exited near the left temple. According to the court documents, the victim had no idea that this had happened to him, and his reaction was described as pure shock.
When an officer asked the victim if he had shot himself, he shockingly exclaimed, "No!" court documents state.
As a result of the shooting, the victim was left blind in one eye.
Authorities interviewed McKnight about what had occurred, and described her responses as "deceptive" in the criminal complaint.
McKnight told police she had not left the house the night of the incident, despite neighboring Ring doorbell cameras to have shown her leaving, and a License Plate Reader on 6th St. in Harrisburg capturing her vehicle on camera around 9:50 p.m. on Feb. 9. A neighboring Ring camera showed her returning home by 10:19 p.m., according to court documents.
Police say that physical evidence showed that the victim had been shot about a foot away, and that McKnight tested positive for gun shot residue on her hands within an hour of the shooting.
Authorities say that the investigation thus far supports the victim's account.
The Cumberland County District Attorney's Office assumed jurisdiction of the investigation at the request of Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo, because McKnight worked as a Magisterial District Judge in Dauphin County.
McKnight was arrested on Feb. 15 and has been charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault, according to court documents. She was reportedly unable to post her $300,000 bail and was processed at the Dauphin County Central Booking Center.
A preliminary hearing is set before President Judge Evans on Feb. 26.