In a shocking turn of events, Daniel Coppola, the man accused of the cold-blooded murder of his ex-wife and her boyfriend in their Long Island mansion, attempted to take his own life while in jail.
The 50-year-old reportedly fell on a staircase at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead, New York, in a desperate bid to end his life. Following the incident, he was rushed to a local hospital, with the severity of his injuries still uncertain. However, sources have suggested to Daily Mail that Coppola could potentially be paralyzed from the neck down.
According to Newsday, Coppola was charged with two counts of second-degree murder last Friday, following the brutal killing of his former wife, Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman, 53. The gruesome incident took place at his St. James residence on August 28. Vicki DiStefano, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office, confirmed that an inmate had been injured in a self-inflicted incident, but refrained from revealing the identity of the individual involved. She stated, "Correction Officers responded quickly and appropriately to get him the medical treatment he needed. He was transported to a local hospital." DiStefano further clarified that the Sheriff's Office could not comment on the medical conditions or status of any incarcerated individual.
Coppola's second court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday at the First District Court in Central Islip, but he was absent due to his hospitalization. Nevertheless, a grand jury indicted him, and his charges are set to be upgraded to first-degree murder by Suffolk Supreme Court Justice Anthony Senft during his arraignment on Friday, as indicated by court records. David Jason Cohen, Coppola's defense attorney, did not respond to requests for comment from the Daily Mail. However, he did acknowledge the tragic nature of the case, stating to The New York Post, "Everything about this case is tragic. My heart goes out to all those affected by the multiple tragedies here and may the families and loved ones of all those involved find some peace."
The chilling details of the murder case reveal that Kelly and her boyfriend Kenny were shot dead shortly before midnight in their St. James home. Police allege that Coppola had called his 15-year-old daughter, who was in the house at the time, warning her to leave. Detective Lt. Kevin Breyer, during a press conference, stated, "The daughter was in the house and he reached out to her and told her to get out of the house. 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.'"
Coppola was arrested on Thursday on two murder charges and was reportedly being held for mental evaluation after making suicidal statements. The tragic incident followed a bitter divorce between Coppola and his ex-wife. During Coppola's arraignment last week, Assistant District Attorney Eric Aboulafia revealed that investigators had found a typewritten letter in Coppola's home that detailed his plan in "excruciating detail" and demonstrated his "homicidal rage." In the letter, Coppola blamed his ex-wife for his financial troubles and expressed his intention to kill the attorneys involved in their divorce, including his own.
A friend, who requested anonymity, shared with Daily Mail that the couple were high school sweethearts at Sachem High School. She described both Danny and Kelly as "very sweet people," expressing her shock at the tragic events. The case continues to unfold, leaving a community in disbelief and mourning, and a family torn apart by a series of tragic events.
Login