Photo: Kelly Coppola/Facebook; Kenny Pohlman/Facebook
A New York man is facing murder charges after allegedly killing his ex-wife and her boyfriend while their teenage daughter sat outside in a car. The tragic incident occurred on Wednesday, Aug. 28, when 50-year-old Daniel Coppola reportedly entered the home of his ex-wife, Kelly Coppola, and her partner, Kenneth Pohlman, in Saint James, Long Island, and fatally shot them.
According to a statement from the Suffolk County Police Department 30, “Fourth Precinct officers responded to 21 Brasswood Road after a 911 caller reported a 15-year-old left the residence with her father, without her mother’s knowledge.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they discovered the bodies of Kelly, 50, and Kenneth, 53, both dead from gunshot wounds. Authorities allege that Daniel Coppola is responsible for the double homicide.
The horrifying details of the incident have been reported by multiple outlets, including WABC. According to WNBC, the events unfolded around 11:30 p.m. local time when Daniel allegedly contacted his daughter and instructed her not to be in the house. After ensuring she was outside, he is accused of entering the home and carrying out the murders.
Suffolk County Police Detective Lieutenant Kevin Beyrer told CBS News, “He reached out to her, told her to get out of the house. He then went into the house and committed these murders.”
The teen, unaware of the full extent of the tragedy, was communicating with friends via text as her father drove her away. “She is communicating with friends via text saying ‘I don’t know what my father did. I don’t know how my mother is,’ ” Beyrer added.
After the alleged murders, Daniel reportedly drove his daughter to his home in Head of the Harbor. The teenager, sensing something was terribly wrong, called 911 at 11:45 p.m., reporting that her father was threatening to commit suicide with a gun. Police responded quickly and took Daniel into custody.
Shortly after, around 11:54 p.m., the teen’s friends also called 911, concerned because they couldn’t reach her mother. They informed police that the girl had left her mother’s house with her father without her mother’s knowledge.
When officers arrived at the Brasswood Road residence, they found the bodies of Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman inside. Daniel Coppola has since been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. The case has left the community in shock, grappling with the loss of two lives and the traumatic impact on the young daughter who is now left to navigate the aftermath of this tragic event.
