Tuesday, the mother of 9-year-old Melina Frattolin, Kali Galanis, testified about her daughter’s reluctance to travel overseas with her father, months before he allegedly killed her during a summer trip to New York. The testimony took place in Essex County Court, where Galanis described the disagreement over travel plans.
Galanis, separated from Luciano Frattolin since 2019, recounted that her ex-partner intended to take Melina to Ethiopia for two weeks in January 2025. However, she told jurors the trip was canceled when Melina objected. “She didn’t want to go,” Galanis said during her testimony, expressing her discomfort with the proposed journey.
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Her account revealed family tensions regarding Melina’s travel and highlighted her increased concerns about the father’s plans to travel with their daughter. Her legal counsel had previously warned about similar cases where estranged parents took children abroad without returning them.
Initially, Frattolin suggested extending their stay in Ethiopia, which further alarmed Galanis. Conversations with Melina led her to cancel the trip entirely. Instead, Frattolin planned a vacation through the northeastern United States, Galanis testified.
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Currently, Luciano Frattolin faces trial for pleading not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse related to Melina’s death. Prosecutors allege that while traveling through Connecticut and New York, Frattolin falsely reported Melina’s kidnapping, triggering an Amber Alert. Authorities found her body in shallow water near Eagle Lake in Ticonderoga.
State investigator Daniel Mauro testified that during questioning, Frattolin remarked it “would’ve been easier” to commit the crime overseas. This comment arose from an inquiry regarding any intentions Frattolin had to harm his daughter.
The trial is ongoing in Essex County Court, continuing to examine testimonies and evidence.
Brittany Miller, a reporter for Fox News Digital, has covered this case. She graduated from Syracuse University in 2023.
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