‘Get out of the house’: Teenage daughter sent outside before ex-husband allegedly shot dead mother and her partner

Fifteen-year-old Giana Coppola was told to leave the house by her father. Soon she was texting friends about the unthinkable scene unfolding.

A man in the United States is accused of shooting dead his ex-wife and her boyfriend inside their million-dollar home after a bitter divorce battle.

Daniel Coppola, 50, allegedly attacked his former spouse Kelly Coppola, 50, and her new partner Kenneth Pohlman, 53, while they slept at their home in Long Island, New York on Wednesday night.

The Coppolas’ 15-year-old daughter, Giana, was allegedly sitting outside the house in her father’s car at the time.

“The daughter was in the house, and he reached out to her and told her to get out of the house,” Detective Lieutenant Kevin Breyer, of the local police force, told the media during a press conference overnight.

Mr Coppola then allegedly fled the scene while his daughter, suspicious, grew increasingly worried about her mother.

“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,’” said Det Breyer.

Kelly Coppola.

Her partner, Kenneth Pohlman.

The alleged killer, Kelly’s ex-husband Daniel Coppola.

Giana’s friends then tried to call Ms Coppola, but were unable to get through to her, which led them to contact 911. The caller, a female, told emergency services the teenager had been taken from the house without her mother’s permission.

Police actually received two emergency calls within 10 minutes of each other. The other one came from Giana herself, at Mr Coppola’s residence. She told the 911 operator her father was “trying to kill himself with a gun”.

Mr Coppola was taken into custody at his home, about 1.5 kilometres away from the crime scene, where police found Ms Coppola and Mr Pohlman dead from gunshot wounds.

The alleged killer was sent for a mental evaluation after making suicidal statements.

The Coppolas finalised their divorce a year or two ago, according to Det Breyer.

“Apparently the divorce is final. Apparently it was a contentious divorce,” he added, without elaborating further.

Police had been called out to a domestic dispute between the couple when they were still married, but it was classified as “non-criminal”.

Ms Coppola and Mr Pohlman shared the six-bedroom, four-bathroom, $US1.1 million ($1.6 million) home that became the scene of the crime.

The house in Long Island where the double murder allegedly happened. Picture: Google Maps

Local news showed police vehicles arrayed outside.

Speaking to local station ABC 7 New York, Mr Pohlman’s father, Kenneth Sr, gave an alleged breakdown of what happened.

“He leaves (Giana) in the car, goes behind the bush, she said behind the bush, and evidently he broke down the door. Went up and did what he did, came back, and told his daughter, ‘I killed your mother and Kenny,’” he told the press.

A friend of Mr Pohlman’s, Geoff Boyle, remembered him as a “great family man” and an “awesome workout buddy”.

“He didn’t show up at the gym this morning,” Mr Boyle told the local news station News 12 Long Island.

“I shot him a text and I got no response from him. Now I know why.”

A neighbour, who said he heard two shots during the night, told The New York Post that Mr Pohlman owned the house. Ms Coppola moved in a few years ago.

They dated for two years and connected after Mr Pohlman’s wife died from cancer, according to police sources.

Mr Pohlman leaves behind three children.

“Two of his children had their mother taken from them 17 years ago from cancer. Today this maniac took their father from them,” Mr Pohlman’s brother, Tom, told the media.

He claimed the two victims had been shot at “point blank” range.

“She brought the best out of him, and he brought the best out of her,” said Kenneth Sr, remembering the pair.

Originally published as ‘Get out of the house’: Teenage daughter sent outside before ex-husband allegedly shot dead mother and her partner