Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Kelly Coppola/ABC
Topics: Mental Health, News, New York, US News, Gun Crime
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Mental Health, News, New York, US News, Gun Crime
A man who has been charged with the murder of his ex-wife and her boyfriend uttered just six words to his daughter after allegedly carrying out the act.
On Wednesday (August 28), Daniel Coppola allegedly broke into the home of Kenneth Pohlman, 53, who was dating his ex-wife, Kelly Coppola, 50, and killed the couple in cold blood.
According to reports by The New York Post, the couple were asleep when they were fatally shot, police sources claim.
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At the time of the ordeal, Coppola's 15-year-old daughter, whom he shared with his ex-wife, was said to be in his car outside the property and he reportedly ordered her to stay inside the vehicle.
Pohlman's father, Kenneth Pohlman Sr, claimed to reporters that after carrying out the alleged act, Coppola reportedly returned to his car and told his daughter: "I killed your mother and Kenny."
He proceeded to flee the scene with his daughter in the car, while she frantically text her friends expressing concerns about her mother's welfare, police said.
Kevin Beyrer, commanding officer of the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad said, as per CBS: "As he's driving her, she is communicating with friends via text saying, I don't know what my father did, I don't know how my mother is."
The teen's friends tried to get in touch with her mom and called 911 when they failed to do so.
At 11:45pm on the night in question, police officers responded to a call from a teenage girl who said that her father was threatening to kill himself with a gun, Beyrer said.
Shortly after they received another call from a different person who wanted to report that a 15-year-old girl left her mother's home with her dad without her mom's knowledge.
Officers went on to realize that the two calls were connected, ABC 7 reports, and arrived at Pohlman's home at 11:54pm to discover both him and Kelly dead.
Coppola and his ex-wife finalized what was described as a 'contentious divorce' in the last couple of years, according to police.
Pohlman's family described Coppola as a 'maniac' and Tom Pohlman, Kenneth's brother, explained that his late sister-in-law died of cancer.
He told ABC 7: "Two of his children had their mother taken from them 17 years ago from cancer."
Referring to Coppola, he added: "Today, this maniac took their father from them."
According Pohlmnan's father, he and Kelly were 'very happy' in their relationship.
"Kelly brought the best out of him and he brought the best out of her. They were very happy," he added.
It's unclear how long the pair had been together.
Following their deaths, Coppola has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
After being taken into custody, the 50-year-old had his mental state evaluated in light of his suicidal statements.
The 15-year-old is currently with family members, CBS reports.
UNILAD has contacted Suffolk County Police for comment.