Sonya McKnight. File photo from 2018.
The defense for suspended Harrisburg Magisterial District Judge Sonya McKnight is seeking to get charges dropped against her for allegedly shooting her ex-boyfriend.
At a habeas corpus hearing at the Dauphin County Courthouse on Thursday, defense attorney Cory Leshner told reporters that he believed the prosecution’s evidence was “simply not enough” to bring the case to trial.
On Feb. 15, McKnight was charged with attempted first-degree murder and aggravated assault in connection with the shooting of Michael McCoy, her ex-boyfriend, on Feb. 10. While sleeping in his home in Susquehanna Township, McCoy was shot in the head and is blind in one eye as a result. McKnight has pled not guilty to the charges.
At a preliminary hearing in March, the case was moved forward to trial by retired Chester County Magisterial District Judge William Kraut, who said that the case made by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s office was “weak,” based on the evidence. At the time, District Attorney Sean McCormack said that his office used the bare minimum of evidence required of them for the preliminary hearing.
McCormack made the case that McKnight was the only person in the house with McCoy on the night he was shot and that McKnight was the owner of the gun used to shoot the victim. McCoy also testified that he did not shoot himself.
At the hearing on Thursday, Cumberland County District Attorney’s First Assistant Cortney Hair LaRue called lead detective on the case, Lee Tarasi of the Susquehanna Township Police Department, to the stand. Hair LaRue asked Tarasi about the gunshot residue tests done on McKnight and McCoy, which Tarasi said were both positive for gunshot residue. Tarasi also testified that McKnight told her that she did not believe McCoy showed any signs of depression or suicidal behavior prior to the shooting. Tarasi also stated that McKnight said only she and McCoy were present in the house at the time of the shooting.
Leshner cross-examined Tarasi, asking if she had reviewed the findings report from the gunshot residue testing. Tarasi said she did not, but was told it was positive. Leshner also asked why Tarasi stated in a case report that she found McKnight’s interview to be “deceptive.”
Tarasi did not specifically say why she believed McKnight was lying, but said that based on her years of experience in law enforcement, she felt the interview was deceptive.
Following the hearing, Leshner said that a case cannot be based on “tenuous influence.”
“It’s my belief that there’s not enough evidence for this to continue,” Leshner told reporters.
Both the prosecution and defense will submit letter briefs to the court within 30 days, upon which the judge will rule on whether or not the case will move forward.
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