A New York man has been accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife and her new boyfriend after first instructing his 15-year-old daughter to leave the house and wait outside in his car, authorities said on 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 on Wednesday in the Long Island hamlet of St. James.
Suffolk County prosecutors revealed that Coppola meticulously planned the killings, drafting a typewritten note found at his home that detailed his intentions, according to Newsday. The note even included plans to kill the lawyers involved in his contentious divorce.
Coppola pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, where his defense attorney, Jason Cohen, requested that his client be placed on suicide watch. Assistant District Attorney Eric Aboulafia provided chilling details of the crime during the arraignment, explaining that Coppola had texted his teenage daughter shortly before midnight on Wednesday, instructing her to leave the house.
After ensuring his daughter was safely outside, Coppola reportedly shot through the lock on the front door, entered the house, and went upstairs where he shot both Pohlman and Kelly Coppola to death, Aboulafia said. “He put a premeditated plan into action,” the prosecutor stated while noting that Coppola’s daughter waited in the car during the killings, the New York Post reported.
Following the murders, Coppola drove his daughter to his nearby home and threatened to take his own life, the prosecutor added. The teenager then called 911, and when police arrived at Coppola’s residence, he reportedly admitted to the killings on an officer’s body camera.
During a search of Coppola’s home, police discovered a semiautomatic pistol along with the detailed planning document, which outlined his intentions in “excruciating detail,” Aboulafia said. Coppola’s letter reportedly blamed his financial troubles on his ex-wife, attempting to justify his actions.
“The letter states that he had a bullet with the names of each of the attorneys involved in the case,” Aboulafia noted. “He even had a bullet for his own attorney.” 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.