Luciano Frattolin is currently facing trial in New York for the alleged murder of his daughter, Melina, during a family trip in July 2025. The case has attracted considerable attention due to the tragic events that unfolded, starting with a desperate 911 call reporting Melina’s abduction at Lake George.
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Melina’s lifeless body was discovered the day after Frattolin reported her missing. The authorities responded to Frattolin’s claims of her kidnapping; however, discrepancies in his account soon came to light. Investigators expressed concerns regarding inconsistencies in the timeline and details he provided after notifying the police about his daughter’s disappearance.
Testifying in court on Tuesday, July 28, Kali Galanis, Melina’s mother, recounted her daughter’s apprehensions about travelling to Ethiopia with Frattolin. “She didn’t want to go,” Galanis recalled, highlighting that Melina had conveyed her discomfort with the trip to her mother prior to their departure. The couple, who first met in Ethiopia in 2009 and welcomed Melina in 2016, became estranged in 2019. Following their separation, Galanis obtained sole custody of their child.
In the early months of 2025, Frattolin—a 45-year-old coffee entrepreneur—expressed a desire to take Melina to visit Ethiopia. However, Galanis indicated that Frattolin’s comments raised alarm bells for her, leading to her discomfort with the plan. In light of these concerns, Frattolin ultimately consented to take Melina on a vacation to New York instead.
On July 11, 2025, father and daughter embarked on their trip. They were scheduled to return to Montreal on the evening of July 19 but failed to do so. Galanis testified that she reached out to Frattolin, hoping to speak with Melina, only to be informed that the girl was asleep. This would be the last communication she would have with her daughter.
The following day, around 1:30 AM on July 20, representatives from the Montreal Police approached Galanis with unsettling news. After an extensive questioning session lasting nearly 12 hours, authorities revealed to her that a body had been discovered in Ticonderoga, New York. Galanis described her initial reaction as one of overwhelming shock upon receiving this devastating information.
Unbeknownst to her at the time, Frattolin had called the police late on July 19, asserting that Melina had been kidnapped from their location. An Amber Alert was subsequently issued for the missing girl, but tragically, she was found deceased hours later.
Investigators have pieced together a timeline suggesting that after Melina’s last phone conversation with her mother at approximately 6:30 PM, Frattolin then took her life before notifying the authorities. On July 21, authorities arrested Frattolin, charging him with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In the opening statements of the trial, Essex County Assistant District Attorney Carrie Daly outlined the prosecution’s case, asserting that they would demonstrate that Frattolin had drowned Melina. After the alleged act, it is claimed that he then concealed her body beneath a large rock.
An autopsy conducted on the young girl confirmed the cause of death to be asphyxia from drowning and classified her death as a homicide. The trial, which commenced on July 23, 2026, is expected to unfold over the coming weeks. With the eyes of the public firmly fixed on the proceedings, the case continues to deepen the sorrow enveloping a family torn apart by tragedy.