Man allegedly killed by girlfriend’s jealous ex in LI mansion murder died trying to save her, family says at gut-wrenching funeral

At his funeral on Tuesday, Kenneth Pohlman, the Long Island man allegedly shot to death alongside his girlfriend by her jealous ex-husband, was remembered as a devoted father who loved his kids, the gym, and sports—and who died protecting the woman he loved.

Hundreds of mourners filled St. Elizabeth’s Church in Melville to pay their respects to Pohlman, a 53-year-old father of three, who was killed last Wednesday by gunman Daniel Coppola. Coppola murdered Pohlman and the “love of his life,” Kelly Coppola, in their St. James home just before midnight.

In a heartbreaking eulogy, Pohlman’s mother, Dorothy, recited a poem she wrote for her son, reflecting on the joy he brought to her life and the pain of his loss. “Kenny, I have written you three poems before / each one was a poem of joy,” she began. “I have so many memories of you / I don’t know where to start / but as many as there are / they will never fill the hole in my heart.”

Dorothy spoke of her son’s pride in his children and his love for sports. She recalled how he met his childhood sweetheart and eventual wife, Kim, when his family moved to Brentwood. The couple had two children, Brianna and Tyler, before Kim passed away from cancer in 2006.

Pohlman had other relationships over the years and welcomed another daughter in 2009, but none felt “right” until he met Kelly, said his father, Kenneth Sr. “They were soulmates,” he said. “People kept calling them boyfriend and girlfriend. They weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. You’d go in their house, they were in love.”

Kenneth Sr. described his son as a hero, recalling how Pohlman’s final act was a selfless attempt to protect Kelly. The double murder has stunned the quiet North Shore town, which was once described by the Wall Street Journal as a “quaint and historic hamlet” where everyone knows each other’s names and birthdays.

Authorities say Daniel Coppola broke into the couple’s $1.1 million home and fatally shot Pohlman and his ex-wife in a hallway.