A New York man has been charged with fatally shooting his ex-wife and her new boyfriend after ordering his 15-year-old daughter to leave the house and wait outside in her car, authorities said Friday.
Daniel Coppola, 50, faces two counts of murder in the deaths of his ex-wife, Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman Jr., 53. The tragic incident took place Wednesday in the Long Island village of St. James.
Suffolk County prosecutors revealed that Coppola meticulously planned the murders, drafting a typewritten note found in his home detailing his intentions, according to News of the dayThe note even included plans to kill the lawyers involved in her contentious divorce.
Coppola pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, where his defense attorney, Jason Cohen, requested that his client be placed on suicide watch. Deputy District Attorney Eric Aboulafia provided chilling details of the crime during the arraignment, explaining that Coppola had sent a text message to his teenage daughter shortly before midnight Wednesday, ordering her to leave the house.
After making sure his daughter was safe outside, Coppola reportedly shot through the front door lock, entered the home and went upstairs, where he fatally shot both Pohlman and Kelly Coppola, Aboulafia said. “He set a premeditated plan in motion,” the prosecutor said, noting that Coppola’s daughter waited in the car during the killings. The New York Post reported.
After the killings, Coppola took his daughter to his nearby home and threatened to kill himself, the prosecutor said. The teen then called 911, and when police arrived at Coppola’s home, he reportedly admitted to the killings on an officer’s body camera.
During a search of Coppola’s home, police discovered a semi-automatic pistol along with a detailed planning document, which outlined his intentions in “an unbearable level of detail,” Aboulafia said. Coppola’s letter reportedly blamed his ex-wife for his financial problems, attempting to justify his actions.
“The letter says he had a bullet with the names of each of the lawyers involved in the case,” Aboulafia noted. “He even had a bullet for his own lawyer.” In the letter, Coppola also wrote, “I am of sound mind and I know exactly what I am going to do,” highlighting the cold premeditation behind his actions.
