In the quiet community of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, the life of 22-year-old Kelly Anne Conklin was abruptly and violently cut short on October 17, 2014. A 2010 graduate of Susquehanna Community Jr/Sr High School and an honored 2013 graduate of Broome Community College, Kelly was known for her love of travel and her rescued Chihuahua, Diego. Her unexpected death sent shockwaves through the town as the harrowing details of her final moments came to light.
On that tragic Friday morning,
Kelly was found shot multiple times in her car outside her home on Washington Street. The investigation quickly led police to her ex-boyfriend, 34-year-old Jonathan Kopacz of Thompson. According to court documents, their relationship had ended in May of that year, and Kopacz had been planning to kill her for several months. He had even purchased two 9mm handguns specifically for this purpose. On the night of the murder, he followed Kelly from a local bar to her home. As she was getting out of her vehicle, Kopacz shot her multiple times, using both guns with a gun in each hand. An autopsy would later reveal that she sustained 11 gunshot wounds, and eight bullets were recovered from her body.
Following the shooting, state troopers tracked Kopacz to his apartment where he was threatening to take his own life. He reportedly told police, 'I just killed somebody and my life is over,' before surrendering without further incident. During his subsequent confession, he admitted to the premeditated nature of the crime. Kopacz was charged with homicide and, nearly a year later, in September 2015, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. While he expressed remorse during his court appearance, he did not provide a clear motive for the murder, leaving a grieving family and a stunned community to mourn the senseless loss of a young woman's life.
