Melina Frattolin, 9, expressed a fear of taking a trip with her father, Luciano Frattolin, to his native Ethiopia just months before her death, her mother testified Tuesday in Essex County Court. Kali Galanis stated that her ex-partner had proposed a two-week trip to Ethiopia in January 2025, but Melina had protested, saying she “didn’t want to go.”
Galanis testified that she became uncomfortable with the overseas travel plans due to concerns stemming from her 2019 breakup with Frattolin. Her lawyer had cited cases where estranged parents took children overseas and did not return them. Galanis stated that Frattolin had initially proposed summer travel dates, but later changed them to suggest a longer trip. Melina also shared what her mother described as “troubling and alarming things” her father had said about her reluctance to return to Ethiopia, which led Galanis to ultimately cancel the planned trip.
Luciano Frattolin, 46, the founder of a Montreal-based company called Gambella Coffee, then suggested a trip to New York instead for 2025. The pair traveled through Connecticut and New York. Authorities allege that on the day Melina was scheduled to return to her family home in Quebec, Frattolin filed a false kidnapping report about her. This report came approximately one hour after Melina called her mother ahead of their flight home.
Frattolin told authorities that Melina had been abducted by two men in a white van, which prompted an Amber Alert. Her body was discovered hours later, and authorities found no evidence of a kidnapping. Investigators questioned Frattolin about his daughter's alleged disappearance. According to New York State Police investigator Daniel Mauro, when asked if he had any reason to kill his daughter, Frattolin chillingly responded that it “would’ve been easier” to murder her overseas, mentioning Italy or his native Ethiopia as possibilities.