A Lengthy Island divorcé who allegedly executed his ex-wife and her boyfriend of their million-dollar dwelling saved bullets for different folks he meant to kill, prosecutors revealed Friday throughout a dramatic courtroom listening to interrupted by indignant wails from grieving members of the family.
“F—ing assassin,” shouted one man as a handcuffed Daniel Coppola, 50, shuffled into a Suffolk County courtroom for his arraignment on second-degree homicide prices.
Coppola coldly “ambushed and executed” his ex, Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend Kenneth Pohlman, 53, with a semi-automatic gun Wednesday night time as they slept within the $1.1 million St. James dwelling they shared, stated Assistant District Legal professional Eric Aboulafia.
“The person liable for savagely taking their lives stands earlier than you,” Aboulafia stated.
The jealous ex-husband had typed out letters detailing his sick causes for the murders, together with blaming Kelly for monetary woes, the prosecutor stated, describing the findings of a warrant search at Coppola’s dwelling.
“The letter states that he had a bullet with the names of every of the attorneys concerned within the case,” Aboulafia stated. “He even had a bullet for his personal lawyer.”
Coppola’s rage was “crystal clear” within the pages of the letters, Aboulafia stated.
“The defendant acknowledged in his letters that, ‘I’m of sound thoughts, I do know precisely what I’m doing,’” he stated.
Coppola carried out his “premeditated plan of homicide” by texting somebody in the home — his teen daughter, based on members of the family — and drawing them exterior, Aboulafia stated.
He instructed the teenager to attend within the automobile, after which shot open the home’s entrance door, authorities stated.
As soon as Coppola compelled his means inside, he confronted the couple in a hallway “and whereas they have been in a state of undress he fired on them with a semi-automatic hand gun, taking their lives,” Aboulafia stated.
Coppola instructed his terrified daughter, who had heard the gunshots, concerning the dastardly deed, based on the ADA and members of the family.
After cops arrested Coppola at his personal St. James dwelling, he was positioned underneath a psychological well being analysis for making suicidal threats.
He admitted to killing the couple, Aboulafia stated.
Choose Jonathan Bloom ordered Coppola held with out bail, and likewise positioned him underneath suicide watch, on the request of his protection lawyer Joseph Cohen.
The surprising arraignment drew spectators, largely from Pohlman’s grieving household.
Their anguished sighs stuffed the courtroom, together with their shouts of “that jackass,” “I don’t need to see him” and “the assassin” as they waited for the listening to to start.
The person who angrily shouted “f—ing assassin” was ordered out.
Pohlman’s father, Kenneth Pohlman Sr., instructed reporters exterior the courtroom that the heinous killings disadvantaged the couple of a “second probability” at life.
He famous his grandchildren had misplaced their mom 17 years in the past — and now their father is gone after discovering his “soulmate” in Kelly Coppola.
“They’ve been collectively for over a year-and-a-half, and they’re extra a boyfriend and a girlfriend,” Pohlman Sr. stated. “They have been in love. They have been soulmates, of their phrase.”
Members of the family stated Daniel Coppola had been abusive and a “maniac” towards his ex-wife, with whom he had a bitter divorce.
Kelly lastly discovered happiness like by no means earlier than as soon as she met Kenneth Pohlman, stated her father John Patton.
“The enjoyment radiated round her, she was smiling on a regular basis and to have this occur is such a tragedy,” he stated. “I can’t even converse — my entire household, his household, the sorrow we’re feeling is overwhelming. I simply can’t recover from this.”