A coffee entrepreneur has been found guilty of the horrific murder of his own daughter after he launched a sick revenge plot against his ex-partner
A dad drowned his own nine-year-old daughter in a horrific revenge plot to get back at his ex-wife. Luciano Frattolin, 45, has been convicted of second degree murder and concealment of a human corpse after his daughter Melinda’s body was found.
He is now facing a life sentence for his crimes. After he murdered his own daughter, he disposed of her body near Ticonderoga, Canada. Frattolin then hid his own daughter’s corpse beneath foliage and a large rock.
After kiling her, he then fabricated a tale claiming Melina had been kidnapped, triggering amber alerts and search parties in the local area.
Her body was found the next day, roughly 250 miles north of New York City.Jurors were shown a photograph of her corpse. But Frattolin shielded his eyes when they did.
In court while discussing the experience of Frattolin’s ex-wife Kali Galanis, Essex County District Attorney Michael Langey said: “She waited for her daughter to come home all night, looked out the window… Her daughter never came back, and she had to get the call the next day that she was dead in a brook in Essex County.”
An autopsy into Melina’s death found the child died from asphyxia due to drowning. Documents found in Frattolin’s car later solidified the case by proving his intent. In relation to the recovered documents Mr Langey said: “It was something that when you read it, there definitely was a plan. He definitely knew a life was coming to an end somewhere on this vacation, no matter where he went.”
During the trial Frattolin announced he would not testify in his defence. Frattolin told the judge: “I really want to, but I was advised not to.”
Melina’s mum was not present in the courtroom during the trial on Monday. Kali Galanis had full custody over Melina after she separated from Frattolin back in 2019.
In recent years, Kali had allowed her daughter to take annual trips with her ex-husband, but she would have never suspected the horror to occur. Frattolin is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14.
He will remain in the custody of Essex County until then. The father has a month to appeal the jury’s decision. During closing statements Langey said: “Melina’s short life came to a violent end.”
Following Melina’s death, residents near Ticonderoga honoured her life adopting her name for a section of the local highway, commemorating her life.