Long Island dad’s unhinged MAGA rant before he ‘shot wife and her new boyfriend dead’ in million-dollar mansion
A father accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife and her new partner while they slept in their million-dollar Long island home ranted about his hatred of gender pronouns in a MAGA-fueled screed only hours earlier.
Daniel Coppola, 50, was arrested on Thursday on two murder charges, after Kelly Coppola, also 50, and her partner of almost two years, Kenneth Pohlman, 53, were found dead in their St. James home shortly before midnight on Wednesday.
On Friday morning, DailyMail.com obtained the first photos of Coppola following his arrest, as he was marched out of jail to appear in court wearing socks and no shoes, with a small wound visible on his forehead.
He was later charged with two counts of second-degree murder at his arraignment and is being held without bail. He is under suicide watch and faces 50 years to life in prison. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Outside of the courthouse, devastated family members including his own daughter sobbed. One was so overcome by emotion that she fell to the ground, and had to be helped back to her feet.
Coppola, a father of one, lost his temper on Facebook hours before the alleged killings, complaining about the use of gender pronouns in email signatures.
‘Maybe I should say in my signature line trump/him,’ he wrote, followed by the hashtag ‘#MAGA2024.’
Daniel Coppola, 50, was arrested on Thursday on two murder charges
The father of one lost his temper on Facebook hours before the alleged murders, complaining about the use of gender pronouns in email signatures
‘He/she her/him what a bunch of f***ing wackos like I need this in a corporate email. I don’t give a s**t about your orientation why do I need it in your signature line??? Do your job as a guy.women trans etc,’ Coppola said in the lengthy rant.
‘I’m done with this s**t and f**k u all that think this in [sic] normal can’t wait for the blowback on this. I’m done bitting [sic] my god d**n tongue. Grow up u attention grabbing pr***s.’
Coppola said he’d had a conversation with a ‘very close friend’ who questioned why he was so bothered by it, and he’d argued that it ‘goes against my core values.’
Police allege Coppola made a call Wednesday to his 15-year-old daughter, who was inside the home with her mom, to warn her to get out of the house.
‘The daughter was in the house and he reached out to her and told her to get out of the house,’ Detective Lt. Kevin Breyer said at a Thursday press conference.
Kelly Coppola, 50, and her partner of almost two years, Kenneth Pohlman, 53, were found dead in their home shortly before midnight on Wednesday
On Friday morning, DailyMail.com obtained the first pictures of Coppola since his arrest
Coppola was set to appear in court on Friday
It is understood that Coppola and his ex-wife (pictured together) had recently gone through a bitter divorce
‘He picked the girl up, put her in his car, committed the murders, drove her from there… As he’s driving her, she’s communicating with friends via text saying, “I don’t know what my father did. I don’t know how my mother is.”
‘They try to reach out to the mother, can’t get in touch with the mother, they call 911,’ he said.
Coppola was arrested and was reportedly being held for mental evaluation after making suicidal statements.
He and his ex-wife had recently gone through a bitter divorce.
At his arraignment Friday, prosecutors said police found multiple letters from Coppola blaming his ex-wife for his financial woes. The assistant district attorney said the letters indicated Coppola also planned to go after attorneys on both sides who were involved in their divorce proceedings.
Kelly Coppola and Pohlman shared a six-bedroom, four-bathroom home worth $1.1million in affluent Suffolk Count. They’d been dating for more than a year, friends said.
It is understood that Pohlman had three children of his own and that their mother died of cancer.
The couple had recently taken their blended family on holiday, and had celebrated Kelly’s 50th birthday with friends.
Breyer described it as a ‘tragic incident.’
‘Kenny was a dear friend of my ex-husband and he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet,’ one friend said following his death.
The alleged victims shared a six-bedroom, four-bathroom home worth $1.1million in affluent Suffolk County
Kenneth Pohlman, 53, was shot dead alongside his partner in their home while they were in bed, police said