August 13, 2025 • 9 mins
In the early hours of a February morning, a 911 call broke the quiet in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. A man, Michael McCoy, had woken from sleep with blinding pain and realized he couldn’t see. His girlfriend, well-known local judge Sonya McKnight, told dispatchers she had no idea what happened.
But as investigators dug deeper, the story inside that house began to change. What they uncovered would lead to a trial watched closely across the state… and a verdict that ended a judicial career.
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
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Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
But as investigators dug deeper, the story inside that house began to change. What they uncovered would lead to a trial watched closely across the state… and a verdict that ended a judicial career.
**************************************
Do you have thoughts about this case, or is there a specific true crime case you’d like to hear about? Let me know with an email or a voice message: https://murderandlove.com/contact
Find the sources used in this episode and learn more about how to support Love and Murder: Heartbreak to Homicide and gain access to even more cases, including bonus episodes, ad-free and intro-free cases, case files and more at: https://murderandlove.com
Music:
℗ lesfreemusic
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/love-and-murder-heartbreak-to-homicide--4348896/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
In the early morning hours of Saturday, February tenth, twenty
twenty four, fifty five year old Michael McCoy suddenly woke
up to a quote massive head pain. He was confused,
but then on top of the pain, he realized that
he couldn't see. He started screaming. His then girlfriend, fifty
eight year old Sonya McKnight, repeatedly asked him, quote, Mike,
(00:25):
what did you do to yourself?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Welcome to Love and Murder Heartbreak to Homicide were Kai's
AI co hosts Jane Jensen and Jessica here to bring
you another midweek mini case written by Kai. So take
a seat, take a listen all the way to the
very end, and if you like our retelling, make sure
to follow or subscribe on the platform you're listening from.
(00:49):
You can also join us over on Patreon for free
at patreon dot com slash Love and Murder, where even
free subscribers get a few extra perks, But if you
want the full experience bonus episodes, exclusive case extras, the
Deadly Duo series, and a chance to be a voice
for the victims alongside us, sign up for one of
(01:10):
our bonus tears. Patreon dot com slash, love and murder.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Now, let's get back to your Wednesday case.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Sonya immediately called nine to one one from Michael's phone,
telling the dispatcher she needed an ambulance because her boyfriend
couldn't see. When the dispatcher asked for more information, Sonya
told her that she quote could not explain what happened,
and stated that she was sleeping and heard him screaming.
When police arrived at the home in Daupin County, Pennsylvania,
(01:40):
they asked Michael what happened. He said that he went
to bed at around eleven PM and then woke up
right before one am. In this state, emergency responders noticed
that Michael had been shot in his right temple and
the bullet had exited through his left temple. When he
found this out, he was shocked, repeatedly and emphatically told.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Police, I did not shoot myself.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Sonia McKnight was an elected magisterial district judge in Daufin
County since twenty fifteen, but behind her public image was
a far more complicated personal life. In November twenty twenty three,
just three months before the incident, Sonya had been suspended
without pay. The suspension came after multiple allegations of misconduct,
(02:27):
including violations of her judicial probation from a prior case
tied to a twenty twenty traffic stop involving her son. Also,
in a more serious case that happened in twenty nineteen,
Sonya had shot her estranged husband in the groin. Investigators
ruled that case self defense, so no charges were filed.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Do you think she only got self defense because she
was a judge now.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Sonya's relationship with Michael McCoy had lasted about a year. Then,
on February fourth, twenty twenty four, Michael had decided to
end the relationship. Not only that, he'd told her to
move out of his home. She refused. Regardless of her refusal,
Michael removed his house key from her key ring, but
most of her belongings were still in the house. The
(03:14):
next morning, she was gone when he woke up, but
when he came home from work, she was inside again.
She'd used a spare key to get into his home.
Things stayed quiet until the night of February ninth, when
Michael went out to dinner. While he was out, he
felt like he was being followed, and he couldn't shake
(03:34):
that feeling. Then, when he got back home from dinner,
he found Sonia sleeping on his couch. He woke her
up and told her that he planned to call her
mother to help her leave. After this, he felt like
quote it was like she finally understood that it was over.
He then went to bed around eleven PM, and that
(03:56):
brings us to the nine one one call. Mike was
taken to the hospital and doctors found that the bullet
had entered the right side of his face, traveled straight
behind and slightly below his eyes, and exited the left side. Thankfully,
Michael survived, but he was left permanently blind in one eye.
He was released from the hospital on February eleventh. The
(04:18):
very next day, investigators quickly began piecing the case together.
Forensic analysis showed the shot had been fired from about
a foot away from Michael's head. Tests confirmed that Sonya
had gunshot residue on her hand, and the firearm used
was registered in her name. Both she and Michael had
agreed that they were the only two people in the
(04:39):
home when the shooting occurred. During the investigation, the local
district attorney's office had to step aside due to a
conflict of interest. The conflict of interest is the fact
that Sonya was a magisterial district judge in their county.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office also cited a conflict, so
(05:00):
the case was handed over to the Cumberland County District
Attorney's office. Sonya was eventually arrested, but then released on bond.
Sonya's trial started on April seventh, twenty twenty five, with
jurors brought in from Delaware County to avoid local bias.
It was alleged that in the early morning hours of
February tenth, twenty twenty four, as Michael McCoy slept, Sonya
(05:25):
shot him in the head. The prosecution, led by Cumberland
County District Attorney Sean McCormack, said that Sonya was quote
a calculating individual, like a scorned woman, hoping people would
believe it was suicide. They argued she was a jealous
partner who didn't like being told that the relationship was over.
(05:45):
Michael took the stand and told the court about the
events leading up to the shooting and making it clear
he did not shoot himself. He reminded them that the
only other person in the home that night was Sonya.
You can hear her on the nine one one call.
The prosecution also pointed out that the gun shot residue
on Sonya's hand and the fact that the gun was
(06:06):
hers were key pieces of physical evidence. Oh and remember
that night where Michael had gone out to dinner and
thought he was being followed. Well, police confirmed that Sonya
had been following him that night. Sonya's attorney, Cory Leshner,
insisted she was innocent. The defense claimed that Michael's blindness
meant he couldn't positively identify the shooter. They also argued
(06:31):
that the quote highest concentration of gunpowder residue was found
on Michael's hands. On April ninth, after just two hours
of deliberations, the jury found Sonya guilty of attempted murder
and aggravated assault. She was taken into custody immediately, and
her bail was raised to three million dollars, with the
(06:52):
court calling her a flight risk. At her sentencing on
May twenty eighth, Sonya addressed the court, pushing back on
the prosecutor's portrait of her, saying.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That is nut my character, That is nut who I am.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Dauphin County Senior Judge Howard Nisley heard arguments from the
defense for a prison term of about thirteen to fourteen years,
while the prosecution opposed any form of leniency.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I don't believe any of the mitigation you've heard applied
to a case like this, where you try to take
a man's life while he's sleeping for what reason? Because
he was ending a relationship.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Judge Canisley sentenced Sonya to thirteen and a half to
thirty years in state prison, calling her quote totally without
remorse and saying that she thought she could stage the
shooting to look self inflicted. In all actuality, this was
a lenient sentence, as she could have faced as much
as thirty to sixty years. Michael decided not to speak,
(07:49):
but witnesses testified for him. Carl Johnson told the court.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I don't have any hatred towards Sonya, but I don't
think Mike deserved this. There's no reason this have happened
to him. I pray he gets through this. There's always
a chance he could go fully blind.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Another witness said the case had torn apart the community.
Even after her conviction, Sonya technically remained a judge until
her resignation. Was filed and accepted in court via power
of attorney to her son. Her seat will remain vacant
until the twenty twenty seven election. Her attorney is moving
forward with an appeal, but for now, the former judge
(08:29):
who once sat on the bench will spend decades behind
bars for a calculated act of violence against the man
who simply wanted to end their relationship.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
So what do you think about this case? Do you
believe Sonya planned this from the moment Michael told her
it was over or do you think there's more to
the story that we didn't hear in court? And the
big question, do you think the defense had any ground
to stand on with their argument that Michael could have
shot himself or was this clearly the act of a
scorned woman who couldn't handle rejection. Let us know your thoughts.
(09:01):
You can email Kai, message her on social media, or
drop your opinion in the comments. Thanks for listening, Thanks
for your support, and if you want to help Kai
to keep telling these stories, you can support the show
at patreon dot com slash Love and Murder. We'll see
you in the next episode.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, February tenth, twenty
twenty four, fifty five year old Michael McCoy suddenly woke
up to a quote massive head pain. He was confused,
but then on top of the pain, he realized that
he couldn't see. He started screaming. His then girlfriend, fifty
eight year old Sonya McKnight, repeatedly asked him, quote, Mike,
(00:25):
what did you do to yourself?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Welcome to Love and Murder Heartbreak to Homicide were Kai's
AI co hosts Jane Jensen and Jessica here to bring
you another midweek mini case written by Kai. So take
a seat, take a listen all the way to the
very end, and if you like our retelling, make sure
to follow or subscribe on the platform you're listening from.
(00:49):
You can also join us over on Patreon for free
at patreon dot com slash Love and Murder, where even
free subscribers get a few extra perks, But if you
want the full experience bonus episodes, exclusive case extras, the
Deadly Duo series, and a chance to be a voice
for the victims alongside us, sign up for one of
(01:10):
our bonus tears. Patreon dot com slash, love and murder.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Now, let's get back to your Wednesday case.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
Sonya immediately called nine to one one from Michael's phone,
telling the dispatcher she needed an ambulance because her boyfriend
couldn't see. When the dispatcher asked for more information, Sonya
told her that she quote could not explain what happened,
and stated that she was sleeping and heard him screaming.
When police arrived at the home in Daupin County, Pennsylvania,
(01:40):
they asked Michael what happened. He said that he went
to bed at around eleven PM and then woke up
right before one am. In this state, emergency responders noticed
that Michael had been shot in his right temple and
the bullet had exited through his left temple. When he
found this out, he was shocked, repeatedly and emphatically told.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Police, I did not shoot myself.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Sonia McKnight was an elected magisterial district judge in Daufin
County since twenty fifteen, but behind her public image was
a far more complicated personal life. In November twenty twenty three,
just three months before the incident, Sonya had been suspended
without pay. The suspension came after multiple allegations of misconduct,
(02:27):
including violations of her judicial probation from a prior case
tied to a twenty twenty traffic stop involving her son. Also,
in a more serious case that happened in twenty nineteen,
Sonya had shot her estranged husband in the groin. Investigators
ruled that case self defense, so no charges were filed.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Do you think she only got self defense because she
was a judge now.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Sonya's relationship with Michael McCoy had lasted about a year. Then,
on February fourth, twenty twenty four, Michael had decided to
end the relationship. Not only that, he'd told her to
move out of his home. She refused. Regardless of her refusal,
Michael removed his house key from her key ring, but
most of her belongings were still in the house. The
(03:14):
next morning, she was gone when he woke up, but
when he came home from work, she was inside again.
She'd used a spare key to get into his home.
Things stayed quiet until the night of February ninth, when
Michael went out to dinner. While he was out, he
felt like he was being followed, and he couldn't shake
(03:34):
that feeling. Then, when he got back home from dinner,
he found Sonia sleeping on his couch. He woke her
up and told her that he planned to call her
mother to help her leave. After this, he felt like
quote it was like she finally understood that it was over.
He then went to bed around eleven PM, and that
(03:56):
brings us to the nine one one call. Mike was
taken to the hospital and doctors found that the bullet
had entered the right side of his face, traveled straight
behind and slightly below his eyes, and exited the left side. Thankfully,
Michael survived, but he was left permanently blind in one eye.
He was released from the hospital on February eleventh. The
(04:18):
very next day, investigators quickly began piecing the case together.
Forensic analysis showed the shot had been fired from about
a foot away from Michael's head. Tests confirmed that Sonya
had gunshot residue on her hand, and the firearm used
was registered in her name. Both she and Michael had
agreed that they were the only two people in the
(04:39):
home when the shooting occurred. During the investigation, the local
district attorney's office had to step aside due to a
conflict of interest. The conflict of interest is the fact
that Sonya was a magisterial district judge in their county.
The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office also cited a conflict, so
(05:00):
the case was handed over to the Cumberland County District
Attorney's office. Sonya was eventually arrested, but then released on bond.
Sonya's trial started on April seventh, twenty twenty five, with
jurors brought in from Delaware County to avoid local bias.
It was alleged that in the early morning hours of
February tenth, twenty twenty four, as Michael McCoy slept, Sonya
(05:25):
shot him in the head. The prosecution, led by Cumberland
County District Attorney Sean McCormack, said that Sonya was quote
a calculating individual, like a scorned woman, hoping people would
believe it was suicide. They argued she was a jealous
partner who didn't like being told that the relationship was over.
(05:45):
Michael took the stand and told the court about the
events leading up to the shooting and making it clear
he did not shoot himself. He reminded them that the
only other person in the home that night was Sonya.
You can hear her on the nine one one call.
The prosecution also pointed out that the gun shot residue
on Sonya's hand and the fact that the gun was
(06:06):
hers were key pieces of physical evidence. Oh and remember
that night where Michael had gone out to dinner and
thought he was being followed. Well, police confirmed that Sonya
had been following him that night. Sonya's attorney, Cory Leshner,
insisted she was innocent. The defense claimed that Michael's blindness
meant he couldn't positively identify the shooter. They also argued
(06:31):
that the quote highest concentration of gunpowder residue was found
on Michael's hands. On April ninth, after just two hours
of deliberations, the jury found Sonya guilty of attempted murder
and aggravated assault. She was taken into custody immediately, and
her bail was raised to three million dollars, with the
(06:52):
court calling her a flight risk. At her sentencing on
May twenty eighth, Sonya addressed the court, pushing back on
the prosecutor's portrait of her, saying.
Speaker 3 (07:01):
That is nut my character, That is nut who I am.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Dauphin County Senior Judge Howard Nisley heard arguments from the
defense for a prison term of about thirteen to fourteen years,
while the prosecution opposed any form of leniency.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
I don't believe any of the mitigation you've heard applied
to a case like this, where you try to take
a man's life while he's sleeping for what reason? Because
he was ending a relationship.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
Judge Canisley sentenced Sonya to thirteen and a half to
thirty years in state prison, calling her quote totally without
remorse and saying that she thought she could stage the
shooting to look self inflicted. In all actuality, this was
a lenient sentence, as she could have faced as much
as thirty to sixty years. Michael decided not to speak,
(07:49):
but witnesses testified for him. Carl Johnson told the court.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
I don't have any hatred towards Sonya, but I don't
think Mike deserved this. There's no reason this have happened
to him. I pray he gets through this. There's always
a chance he could go fully blind.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Another witness said the case had torn apart the community.
Even after her conviction, Sonya technically remained a judge until
her resignation. Was filed and accepted in court via power
of attorney to her son. Her seat will remain vacant
until the twenty twenty seven election. Her attorney is moving
forward with an appeal, but for now, the former judge
(08:29):
who once sat on the bench will spend decades behind
bars for a calculated act of violence against the man
who simply wanted to end their relationship.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
So what do you think about this case? Do you
believe Sonya planned this from the moment Michael told her
it was over or do you think there's more to
the story that we didn't hear in court? And the
big question, do you think the defense had any ground
to stand on with their argument that Michael could have
shot himself or was this clearly the act of a
scorned woman who couldn't handle rejection. Let us know your thoughts.
(09:01):
You can email Kai, message her on social media, or
drop your opinion in the comments. Thanks for listening, Thanks
for your support, and if you want to help Kai
to keep telling these stories, you can support the show
at patreon dot com slash Love and Murder. We'll see
you in the next episode.
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