The jealous ex who ambushed and then executed his ex-wife and her boyfriend at their Long Island mansion last week attempted suicide in jail on Monday.
Daniel Coppola, 50, fell down a flight of stairs at the Suffolk County Correctional Center in Riverhead on Monday while attempting to end his own life. News of the day reported.
Coppola was taken to a hospital in Riverhead.
The extent of his injuries is not yet clear, but sources told DailyMail.com he may be paralysed from the neck down.
Coppola was charged Friday with two counts of second-degree murder in the brutal killings of his ex-wife, Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman, 53, in their St. James home on Aug. 28.
Daniel Coppola, pictured, shot the happy couple in a fit of rage, prosecutors say
Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman, 53
Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Vicki DiStefano did not identify the inmate but said in a statement to DailyMail.com on Wednesday that “an inmate was injured during a self-inflicted incident.”
‘Prison officials responded quickly and appropriately to provide him with the medical treatment he needed. He was transferred to a local hospital.
He added that “the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office cannot comment further on the conditions or medical status of any incarcerated person.”
Coppola’s second court appearance was Tuesday in First District Court in Central Islip. He was not present, but a grand jury indicted him.
The second-degree murder charge will be upgraded to first-degree by Suffolk Supreme Court Judge Anthony Senft during his arraignment Friday in Riverhead, according to court records.
Suffolk County Correctional Facility is where Coppola attempted to take his own life on Monday
Daniel Coppola is pictured with his ex-wife Kelly. A friend called the couple “high school sweethearts.”
Kenny, pictured, was Kelly’s “soulmate,” her father said at her funeral
Coppola’s defense attorney, David Jason Cohen, did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment.
Although he did not confirm the suicide attempt, Cohen said The New York Post in a statement that “everything in this case is tragic.”
“My heart goes out to all those affected by the multiple tragedies here and I hope the families and loved ones of all involved find some peace,” Cohen said.
Kelly and her boyfriend Kenny were shot dead shortly before midnight at their St. James home on Wednesday night.
Police allege Coppola called her 15-year-old daughter, who was inside the home with her mother, to warn her to get out of the house.
“The daughter was in the house and he approached her and told her to get out of the house,” Detective Lt. Kevin Breyer said at a news conference Thursday.
He picked up the girl, put her in his car, committed the murders, drove her from there… While he was driving her, she was communicating with her friends via text messages saying, “I don’t know what my father did. I don’t know how my mother is.”
“They try to communicate with the mother, but they can’t, they call 911,” he said.
Coppola was arrested Thursday on two counts of murder and was reportedly being held for a mental evaluation after making suicidal statements.
He and his ex-wife had recently gone through a bitter divorce.
At last week’s arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Eric Aboulafia said investigators found a typewritten letter at Coppola’s home detailing his plan in “excruciating detail” that clearly showed his “homicidal rage.”
In the letter, he blamed his ex-wife for his financial problems and said he also planned to kill the lawyers involved in their divorce, including his own, with bullets marked for each one.
Kenny had three sons and Kelly had a daughter whom she shared with Daniel Coppola.
Kenneth and Kelly lived in this six-bedroom, four-bathroom home valued at $1.1 million in wealthy Suffolk County.
A friend who went to high school, Sachem High School, with the couple told DailyMail.com “They were high school sweethearts.”
She asked that her name not be used, but said “Danny and Kelly were very sweet people.” She added: “This is all too shocking.”
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