A Montreal man has been found guilty of killing his nine-year-old daughter and concealing her body, and could face up to life in prison. Luciano Frattolin, 46, was said to have drowned Melina Frattolin last summer while on vacation in the Adirondacks, a massif of mountains in Northeastern New York State.
Frattolin, founder of organic coffee brand Gambella, claimed Melina was kidnapped and forced into a white van, sparking an amber alert. But prosecutors argued the murder was an apparent attempt to take revenge on his ex-wife, who he claimed was 'abusing' Melina, Daily Mail reports.
Background to the Trip
Frattolin had taken his daughter on a US road trip after Melina's mother, Kali Galanis, told authorities he had originally wanted to fly her to his native Ethiopia for two weeks. However, after Melina reportedly told her mother some 'troubling and alarming things' about her father, Galanis claimed that Melina 'didn't want to go.'
At Frattolin's trial, Galanis also revealed that she refused to let her ex-husband take their daughter overseas after hearing stories of estranged spouses who take their children to other countries and refuse to return with them. Instead, she relented on a trip to New York.
The Disappearance and Discovery
Frattolin and Melina were nearing the end of a week-long US trip when the father reported his daughter missing on July 19, 2025. He claimed that Melina was forced into a white van by two men, which he said he chased for around 20 minutes before stopping in Warren County to make the police call.
This sparked a massive manhunt for the nine-year-old, with law enforcement searching white vans throughout the region. However, after Melina's remains were later found hidden under a log in a remote pond in the town of Ticonderoga, police arrested Frattolin.
Police say Frattolin repeatedly changed his story regarding his locations at the time of the 'kidnap'. The autopsy found Melina died from asphyxia due to drowning.
Evidence and Trial
Electronic data helped investigators find out what happened that day. Location data from Frattolin's phone and car, and records of text messages and calls allowed authorities to track his movements and prove the white van story was false. Officers later discovered Frattolin's wet clothes in a rubbish bag — the same outfit he was allegedly spotted wearing on a McDonald's CCTV camera with Melina. However, when he reported Melina missing, he was wearing different clothes.
Michael Langey, Essex County District Attorney, said during the trial: 'I think every second there was data in this case. We could see exactly where his vehicle was during the entire trip, and that was huge. Knowing that he wasn't where he was telling people he was was a big factor in them starting to turn the focus away from the abduction to, "why are you telling us you're here when you're not here?"'
Perhaps the most chilling part of the case was notes found inside Frattolin's rental car, where he wrote about 'ending the madness.' 'Let God decide. If you want to become famous. God, do not give me money until I end this evil. I mean big money, like $2 million,' he wrote in one of the notes. 'Don't let Melina suffer anymore,' he wrote in another.
In the documents, Frattolin also wrote about Galanis and mentioned bringing his daughter to 'the end.' 'It was something that when you read it, there definitely was a plan,' Langey said. 'He definitely knew a life was coming to an end somewhere on this vacation, no matter where he went.'
Verdict and Aftermath
Frattolin has maintained that his daughter was mysteriously kidnapped the night of her death. During the trial, it was also reported he showed no remorse as the prosecutor shared what had happened to Melina.
In the closing statements for Frattolin's trial on Monday, Langey said: 'Melina's short life came to a violent end. All stained with mud, her long, black hair that she'd just taken out of her braids, was covered in dirt and grass.' Speaking about Galanis, he said: 'She waited for her daughter to come home all night, looked out the window. Her daughter never came home, and she had to get the call the next day that she was dead in a brook in Essex County, in New York.'
CBC reports that Melina's loved ones and family members sobbed in the courthouse after the guilty verdict was called. Langey added after the trial: 'The grandparents were here, the aunts were here. They had to sit in the courtroom and there was a possibility, obviously, that he wasn't gonna get convicted. So it was a relief for them, and hopefully this could be some type of closure for them.'
After a jury found Frattolin guilty of second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse after just an hour's deliberation, he now faces life in prison. He is due to be sentenced on October 14, but has a month to appeal the jury's decision.
