Police: Man left daughter in car as he went inside home to kill ex-wife, her boyfriend

By Chanteé Lans

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    ST. JAMES, Long Island (WABC) — A Long Island man forced his way into a St. James home and shot and killed his ex-wife and her boyfriend Wednesday night, police said.

Police said the suspect, Daniel Coppola, 50, had his 15-year-old daughter sitting in his vehicle when he forced his way inside the home and allegedly shot and killed her mother and the mother’s boyfriend.

The victims were Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman Jr., 53, who lived together at the house.

At 11:45 p.m. officers responded after a 15-year-old girl called 911 stating her father was threatening to kill himself with a gun.

Within 10 minutes, a second 911 call was made to report that a 15-year-old girl left her mother’s home with her father without her mother’s permission. The caller, who was not at the described location, explained that the parents were divorced, police said.

As officers arrived to 99 Harbor Road for the attempted suicide call, they realized the 911 calls were related.

Officers then responded to the second 911 call at the home on Brasswood Road around 11:54 p.m. Wednesday where they found the slain couple.

As police took Coppola into custody at his residence at 99 Harbor Road they learned the 15-year-old was at her mother’s house on Brasswood Road when her father called to pick her up and told her to get out of the house.

The teen got into the father’s vehicle and Coppola entered the home and allegedly shot and killed Kelly Coppola and her boyfriend.

As the father and teen drove away, the teen became concerned for her mother and was texting her friends who then called 911.

Police said the Coppola’s divorce was final but contentious.

Coppola was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder.

Pohlman’s grief-stricken father, Kenneth Pohlman Sr, told Eyewitness News that Daniel Coppola earlier had been driving recklessly with his daughter and hitting things. The daughter, he said, got scared and asked to be returned to the house, Pohlman Sr. said.

“So he leaves her in the car, goes behind the bush- she said behind the bush and evidently he broke down the door, went up and did what he did, came back, and told his daughter ‘I killed your mother and Kenny,'” Pohlman Sr. said.

Pohlman’s brothers also spoke to Eyewitness News outside the home.

“Kelly brought the best out of him and he brought the best out of her. They were very happy,” Pohlman Sr. said.

John Pohlman described his slain brother as his best friend.

“I wasn’t known as John Pohlman growing up, I was ‘little Kenny Pohlman’s brother,’ that’s what I was known as. He would give you the shirt off his back,” John Pohlman said.

Another brother, Tom Pohlman, said the victim had lost his wife to cancer 17 years ago.

“Two of his children had their mother taken from them 17 years ago from cancer. Today this maniac took their father from them,” Tom Pohlman said.

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