On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, a tragic incident unfolded in a million-dollar Long Island home in the United States when Daniel Coppola, 50, allegedly shot his ex-wife, Kelly Coppola, 50, and her partner, Kenneth Pohlman, 53, while they were asleep.
The shooting took place around 11:45 p.m. in the couple’s St. James residence, according to law enforcement sources and Pohlman’s family.
Daniel Coppola reportedly forced his way into the home by shooting down the front door. Prior to the attack, he had instructed his daughter to stay in his car outside their residence at 21 Brasswood Road.
Kenneth Pohlman Sr., Pohlman’s grieving father, recounted to U.S. reporters: “He leaves her in the car, goes behind the bush … and evidently he broke down the door, went up [and] did what he did.” Coppola then returned to the car and told his daughter, “I killed your mother and Kenny.”
Following the murders, Coppola fled the scene while his shocked teenage daughter, who he shared with Kelly Coppola, attempted to contact her friends.
Detective Lt. Kevin Breyer stated: “As he’s driving her, she is communicating with friends via text saying, ‘I don’t know what my father did. I don’t know how my mother is.’” Her friends, unable to reach Kelly, called 911.
Coppola was later apprehended at his St. James home, located about a mile from the crime scene. He is currently undergoing a mental evaluation after making suicidal statements, according to police.
The Suffolk County Police Department has charged him with two counts of second-degree murder.
The violence followed a contentious divorce finalized about a year or two ago. Breyer noted: “Apparently the divorce is final [and] apparently it was a contentious divorce,” but did not provide further details.
There was no existing order of protection against Coppola, although police had been called for a non-criminal dispute between the former couple during their marriage.
Pohlman’s family has described Coppola as an abusive “maniac.” Tom Pohlman, Kenneth’s grieving brother, shared with reporters: “From what she would say, he abused her.”
Pohlman had met Kelly after his previous wife passed away from cancer. His family remembers him as a romantic who adorned his bedroom wall with love letters.
Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman lived together in a six-bedroom, four-bathroom, $1.1 million home.
A friend of Pohlman’s, Geoff Boyle, reflected on the loss, saying: “He didn’t show up at the gym this morning. I shot him a text and I got no response from him. Now I know why.”
The family is left grappling with the shock of the sudden loss, with Tom Pohlman questionin: “How do you wrap your head around it?”
