LI Man Indicted After Killing Ex-Wife, Her Boyfriend: Suffolk DA

ST. JAMES, NY — Daniel Coppola was indicted on four counts of first-degree murder after prosecutors said he fatally shot his ex-wife and her boyfriend in their St. James home on Aug. 28, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said Friday.

Coppola, 50, of St. James was accused of shooting and killing Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman Jr., 53, Tierney said.

Late in the evening of Aug. 28, Coppola sent text messages to an uninvolved witness at a home on Brasswood Road in St. James, in order to draw the witness out of the home, investigators said. The Suffolk County Police Department previously told reporters that the witness was the Coppolas' 15-year-old daughter.

When the girl went outside, Coppola asked her where Pohlman’s bedroom was, prosecutors said.

Coppola then left the girl sitting in his 2021 Toyota Tundra while he walked up to the entrance of the home, authorities said. He fired a black semi-automatic handgun at the keypad and front door, then forcibly entered, officials said.

Coppola then fatally shot Pohlman and Coppola at the upstairs hallway of the home, the DA said. He drove away with his daughter in the car, authorities said.

Coppola took his daughter back to his home on Harbor Road, approximately three miles from Pohlman's home, prosecutors said. Once back at Coppola’s home, the girl saw him take a black handgun and put it on his desk, while making suicidal threats, investigators said.

Coppola's daughter hid the handgun from him and called 911, the DA said.

When responding police officers arrived at Coppola’s home, they promptly placed him into custody "for his own personal safety," the DA's office said. The girl directed officers to the black semi-automatic handgun that she hid earlier, prosecutors said.

Suffolk Police were then dispatched to the Brasswood Road address, where they found visible damage to the front door that had been forced open and Kelly Coppola and Pohlman dead of gunshot wounds, officials said.

Investigators said Daniel Coppola left the house hastily, leaving behind his sandals, one of which was found underneath Pohlman’s body.

"The defendant allegedly drove to his ex-wife's home and fatally shot his ex-wife and her boyfriend in cold blood," Tierney said in a news release. "Our office takes all allegations of domestic violence seriously, and we are committed to bringing justice to Kelly Coppola, Kenneth Pohlman and their loved ones. While we cannot bring Kenneth and Kelly back, we can hold this defendant responsible for his alleged actions."

Coppola pleaded not guilty to the shootings, the Suffolk County DA's Office previously told Patch.

"We have entered a plea of not guilty and are planning a strong defense," John Halverson, Daniel Coppola's attorney, told Patch.

Coppola attempted to die by suicide while in custody at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead, Newsday reported Wednesday. Coppola was badly hurt after falling intentionally from a set of stairs, Newsday reported.

"We can confirm that [Monday] an inmate was injured during a self inflicted incident," Suffolk County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Vicki DiStefano told Patch. "Correction Officers responded quickly and appropriately to get him the medical treatment he needed. He was transported to a local hospital. The Suffolk County Sheriff's Office is unable to comment further on any incarcerated individual's medical conditions or status."

Coppola was arraigned Friday on four counts of first-degree murder, class A-I felonies, Tierney said.

Coppola was ordered remanded while his case is heard. He is due back in court on Sept. 24 and faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted on the top count. He is being represented by John Halverson and Steven Politi. Halverson and Politi could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Long Island community is helping support Pohlman's three children through a GoFundMe that has raised more than $132,000 as of Friday afternoon. A fundraiser was also created for Gianna Coppola, 15, who lost her mother.

Kenneth is survived by his children, Brianna, 25, Tyler, 21, and Jenna, 14.

Kenny — as his siblings called him — in a word, was "contagious," his brother, Tommy Pohlman, said.

"Kenny’s spirit and attitude and personality was just contagious," Tommy told Patch. "His smile was contagious. Kenny always greeted everyone as 'my friend.' Whether he knew you or not, it was, 'Hello, my friend.' He started emails with, 'Hello, my friend.' In my eulogy, I said, 'If you knew Kenny, you loved him. And if you didn’t know him, I apologize you didn’t get to experience his love for life and his joy for life.'"

Lori Patton, Kelly's sister-in-law, previously told Patch that the family takes comfort in how happy Kelly was with Kenny.

"After years of struggle through these other hardships, she finally met someone that was wonderful to her, not only taking care of her emotionally," but filling her life with complete joy, Patton said.

Kelly, she said, "radiated positivity."

She added, "She was very, very close to her brothers. Kelly was very much a family-oriented person," she said. "She wanted everyone together, all the time."