Alison Galvani has broken her silence after her father, Patrick Galvani, was charged with the murder of her mother, Nancy, in 1982. Alison, now a Yale epidemiology professor, was around five years old at the time of the killing. She has long suspected that her father used her as bait to lure her mother to her death.
Nancy Galvani's body was found in August 1982 floating inside a sleeping bag near the San Mateo Bridge in Foster City, California. The case remained unsolved for decades until a breakthrough last month. The Foster City Police Department announced on November 24 that Patrick Galvani, 81, had been arrested and charged with Nancy's murder.
In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, Alison expressed gratitude to officials for pursuing justice for her mother. She said, 'With an extraordinary combination of compassion and resolve, they are working tirelessly to ensure that light is shone upon even the darkest of cases.' Alison also recalled confronting her father in 2008, telling him, 'You killed my mother,' to which he allegedly replied, 'It wasn't my fault.'
Patrick Galvani was considered a suspect early in the investigation, but charges were dropped due to lack of evidence. His lawyer at the time claimed he passed a polygraph test and that Nancy suffered from mental illness. Galvani's current attorney, Douglas Horngrad, maintains his client's innocence, stating, 'This murder charge was filed against him years ago and the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. As I understand it, the evidence is the same, and we believe the outcome will be the same.'
Prosecutors, however, argue they now have sufficient evidence to convict. Galvani is being held without bail and is next due in court on January 15. Nancy and Patrick were separated at the time of her death.
