In a dramatic breakthrough for a case that has remained unsolved for over four decades, an 81-year-old man has been arrested for the 1982 murder of his estranged wife, whose body was discovered floating in San Francisco Bay.
A Daughter's Unwavering Quest for Justice
Patrick Galvani was taken into custody on Monday on suspicion of murdering his wife, Nancy Galvani, back in 1982, according to an announcement from the Foster City Police Department. This arrest marks a significant development in a cold case that has haunted investigators and the victim's family for 43 years.
The tragic story began on August 9, 1982, when fishermen spotted a suspicious sleeping bag drifting near the San Mateo Bridge. Upon investigation, police made a grim discovery: inside was the body of a woman, dressed only in underwear, bound to a cinder block and showing clear signs of strangulation. The victim was quickly identified as Nancy Galvani, a 36-year-old mother to her five-year-old daughter, Alison.
At the time of her death, Nancy was embroiled in a contentious divorce from Patrick and had taken protective measures, including filing a restraining order against him just two months prior. She had moved into a residence hotel in San Francisco's Tenderloin district specifically for safety reasons while seeking custody of their young daughter. Friends later revealed that Nancy had expressed fears that her estranged husband might harm her if she obtained custody.
The Case That Went Cold
The investigation revealed that on August 8, 1982, Nancy had been having dinner at her hotel when she received a call from Patrick, who asked her to pick up their daughter Alison early. Her car was later discovered in the garage of his Pacific Heights home.
Although Galvani was initially charged with his wife's murder, the case against him stalled and prosecutors eventually dropped the charges. Keith Sorenson, the San Mateo County District Attorney at the time, told the San Francisco Examiner that the case was too circumstantial, estimating prosecutors had less than a 50 percent chance of securing a conviction.
Over the following decades, the case grew colder as investigators at the Foster City Police Department struggled with limited resources. However, the victim's daughter, Alison, emerged as the driving force behind keeping the investigation alive.
New Evidence Brings Hope for Justice
Alison Galvani began investigating her mother's death as a teenager and eventually immersed herself completely in the search for answers. She spoke to relatives, used social media to raise awareness, met regularly with detectives, and even hired her own private investigator.
In a recorded 2010 phone call with his daughter, when questioned about her mother's death, Patrick Galvani denied killing Nancy but reportedly stated that he "would have killed her for her sake," claiming "someone beat him to it" and that her death was the "best thing" that could have happened to her.
Though a wrongful-death lawsuit that Alison filed in 2013 was dismissed due to the passage of time, her persistence ultimately paid off. Current San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe acknowledged her crucial role, stating: "The daughter has, for all these years, tried to push for justice for the murder of her mother, and kept on pressing [the Foster City PD] to do it."
Prosecutors now possess evidence unavailable in the 1980s, including witness testimony from individuals who previously couldn't be located. Wagstaffe explained that this new evidence strengthens the narrative around motive and opportunity, filling critical gaps that once undermined the case against Patrick Galvani.
"We think it creates the circumstances surrounding his motive for the crime, how he did it, and where he kept her during the time period because the body, we don't believe, was disposed of for a couple of days," Wagstaffe told ABC7.
However, Galvani's attorney, Douglas Horngrad, maintains his client's innocence, stating: "Mr. Galvani is innocent. 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. Mr. Galvani will be exonerated again."
The Foster City Police Department has confirmed that the investigation remains active and ongoing. Patrick Galvani is currently being held at the San Mateo County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on December 5.
