A Pennsylvania judge has been convicted of shooting her ex-boyfriend in the head in a fit of jealousy, leaving the man blind in one eye.
Sonya McKnight is facing decades in prison after a jury found her guilty on Wednesday of attempted homicide and aggravated assault after two days of testimony.
The incident occurred at her ex-boyfriend’s home in February 2024, days after she was told to move out when the pair ended their relationship. In the early morning hours, McKnight aimed a gun at the victim’s head, shooting him while he was sleeping and leaving him blind in one eye.
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During the trial, prosecutors claimed McKnight “didn’t like” that the victim had asked her to move out of the home, acting out of jealousy as a result.
McKnight’s defense attorney insisted her ex-boyfriend was unable to identify the shooter, but the victim testified that while he was unable to see after being shot in the head, McKnight was the only other person inside the home at the time of the incident.
“We are pleased with the jury’s verdict,” Seán McCormack, Cumberland County District Attorney, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This was a hard-fought trial that ultimately came down to the credibility of the victim. He is a walking miracle.”
McKnight’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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McKnight was elected to the Dauphin County bench in 2016, resulting in her case being tried in Cumberland County.
In November 2023, McKnight was suspended without pay after the Judicial Conduct Board alleged she violated judicial probation stemming from a prior misconduct case involving a 2020 traffic stop. However, she was acquitted of criminal charges.
McKnight did not face charges in a 2019 incident in which she shot her estranged husband after asking him to come to her home to help move furniture, PennLive.com previously reported. Investigators deemed the incident self-defense.
After McKnight’s conviction, a trial judge rejected a request from her defense asking for her to be released. She is facing up to 60 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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