Luciano Frattolin, the 46-year-old founder of the organic coffee brand Gambella, was convicted on Monday of second-degree murder and concealment of a body in the death of his nine-year-old daughter, Melina. Frattolin drowned his daughter in a shallow swamp in a bid for revenge against his ex-wife, prosecutors alleged.
Frattolin took Melina on a trip across the Northeast United States in the summer of 2025. Prosecutors argued this was a ploy to kill his daughter to avoid paying child support. The young girl's remains were discovered on July 19, 2025, hidden under a log in a remote pond in Ticonderoga, New York.
"Melina's short life came to a violent end," Essex County District Attorney said in his closing statements. "All stained with mud, her long, black hair that she'd just taken out of her braids, was covered in dirt and grass."
Jurors deliberated for approximately one hour before returning their verdict. Frattolin has maintained that his daughter was abducted the night of her death.
He reported Melina missing around 9:30 p.m. on July 19, 2025, from Lake George, New York, claiming she was forced into a white van. Frattolin told authorities he chased the van for 15 to 20 minutes before stopping in Warren County to make the call. This report initiated a widespread search for Melina, with law enforcement stopping white vans throughout the region.
Initially, Frattolin cooperated with investigators, allowing them to search his vehicle, his cellphone, and Melina's phone. However, his story shifted as new evidence emerged.
Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting Frattolin's account of the timeline was inconsistent. What was expected to be a short drive to the alleged abduction site instead took hours, with Frattolin repeatedly redirecting officers. At one point, he allegedly told officers they had driven too far north on Interstate 87, though cellphone and vehicle data placed him in that area for nearly an hour. When questioned about this stop, Frattolin claimed he and Melina were looking for a place to hike or swim.
Investigators also noted Frattolin's claim that he could not access his cellphone immediately after the alleged abduction because it had fallen between the seats of his rental car. However, prosecutors revealed evidence of texts he sent to Melina's mother, Kali Galanis, stating Melina would be home in 10 minutes.
Galanis had become concerned for her daughter's safety and had been tracking her phone. Access was lost after Melina and Frattolin stopped at a McDonald's in Saratoga Springs earlier that evening. Authorities later determined this was the last location where Melina's phone showed any activity.
Video footage from the McDonald's reportedly showed Frattolin wearing different clothing than what he wore after reporting his daughter missing. Officers later found his wet clothes and shoes in a garbage bag off I-87.
During questioning, Frattolin admitted to New York State Police investigator Daniel Mauro that it "would've been easier" to murder the young girl overseas, in Italy or Ethiopia. Frattolin faces a potential life sentence and is scheduled to be sentenced on October 14.