Man accused of killing ex-wife and her boyfriend in St. James held without bail

Police say Daniel Coppola went to the home late Wednesday and fatally shot Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman.

Cecilia Dowd

Aug 30, 2024, 10:15 AM

Updated 14 days ago

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The man accused of shooting and killing his ex-wife and her boyfriend in St. James was arraigned on murder charges this morning.
Police say Daniel Coppola went to the home late Wednesday and fatally shot Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman.
Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman Courtesy: Brianna Pohlman's Facebook Page
Daniel Coppola allegedly told his 15-year-old daughter to get out of the house and then went and shot her mother and her mother’s boyfriend.
The victims’ family and friends flooded the courtroom as he was arraigned on murder charges. There were outbursts from the courtroom, with one person calling him a “murderer.”
Kelly Coppola's father John Patton described the sorrow the family is feeling as "overwhelming."
The prosecutor said the victims were "ambushed and executed" and said Daniel had a premeditated plan spelled out in a typewritten note in "excruciating detail." He allegedly fired at the front door, forcibly making his way inside and confronted the victims in an upstairs hallway. His daughter allegedly heard the gunshots. The prosecutor said he blamed his financial woes on his ex-wife.
The assistant district attorney said Daniel's homicidal rage is "crystal clear," and that he had a bullet for each attorney involved in his divorce proceedings, a divorce police had previously described as "contentious."
According to court documents, the defendant admitted to the crime, saying, "I shot your mother and her boyfriend, I just killed two people."
The next court date is Sept. 3.
Coppola was held without bail and placed on suicide watch.