A coffee company CEO accused of murdering his 9-year-old daughter allegedly had condoms, disturbing notes and documents labeled “closure/confession” inside his rental car after the child was found dead in a New York pond, jurors heard Thursday.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, is on trial in Essex County Court for the death of his daughter, Melina, who was killed during a trip to upstate New York last July.
Frattolin, the head of the Canadian coffee company Gambella, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse.
Melina was found dead in shallow water in a pond in Ticonderoga. Authorities determined that she died from asphyxia caused by drowning and ruled her death a homicide.
Frattolin initially told police that his daughter had been abducted by men traveling in a white van.
However, investigators later focused on the father, who was arrested and charged in connection with the child’s death.
During testimony Thursday, New York State Police investigator Jacalyn Sommer said officers discovered multiple condoms in gold-colored packaging inside Frattolin’s rented gray 2024 Toyota Prius.
The court also heard that two stained pairs of Melina’s underwear produced indications of possible seminal fluid during preliminary testing, according to the New York Post.
A shirt and pair of shorts belonging to Frattolin allegedly showed similar indications. Sommer testified that Frattolin’s clothing had not undergone additional testing.
No allegation that Melina was sexually assaulted has been established in court, and prosecutors have not publicly explained what they believe the test results mean.
Investigators also discovered a document titled “closure/confession” inside the rental car, jurors heard.
The document was reportedly written as a draft press release intended for Canadian news outlets in the event that Frattolin secured custody of Melina.
In the writing, Frattolin allegedly described his former wife, Kali Galanis, as “the queen of evil.”
“You were not supposed to be a mother for a reason,” the document said, according to the New York Post.
“Death is better than living with you,” another passage allegedly read. “Your Dad is the only one who can control you.”
Frattolin also reportedly wrote, “The problem was never me,” before blaming Galanis’ alleged mental illness.
The document appeared to present a conversation between Frattolin and his ex-wife, although it remained unclear whether the exchange had ever actually taken place.
Melina had been scheduled to return to her mother in Montreal after completing the U.S. trip with her father.
Investigators also found what prosecutors described as a 10-year “father’s report” in the Prius’ glove compartment. Frattolin had allegedly written notes referring to “Plan A” and “Plan B” on the document.
Many of the papers recovered from the car had reportedly been stuffed inside an Ikea shopping bag.
The vehicle also contained photographs of Galanis, baby pictures of Melina and Porsche owner’s manuals, according to investigators.
Smartphone location data also emerged as a major part of the prosecution’s case.
State Police investigator Ryan Munks testified that officers extracted more than 200,000 location data points collected by apps on Frattolin’s phone.
“That’s a lot,” Munks told the court. “One of the most I’ve ever seen.”
The data reportedly showed that Frattolin’s phone remained stationary near a rural road for approximately one hour before he reported Melina missing.
Munks also testified that Melina used her phone to message her mother shortly before her disappearance, asking Galanis to contact one of her friends.
Galanis previously told jurors that Frattolin had wanted to take Melina to his native Ethiopia for two weeks in January 2025.
According to the grieving mother, Melina resisted the proposed trip and said “she didn’t want to go.”
Galanis testified that she became worried after her attorney warned her about cases in which estranged parents took children overseas and never returned.
She also said Melina had shared other “troubling and alarming things” about her father.
“I became uncomfortable,” Galanis testified. “I was not OK with that anymore.”
Frattolin later suggested taking Melina to New York instead, according to Galanis. That trip took place last July and ended with the child’s death.
The trial is expected to continue into next week.
Another black that should have stayed in his trashy country and maybe would have then not had kids and ruined lives in 2 other countries.
The Daily Crime is the best summary of human evolution there is!!
People no longer have GOD in their lives. They believe in nothing but self gratification.