Home / Crime and Justice / Father Drowns Daughter, Hides Body
Father Drowns Daughter, Hides Body
15 Oct
Summary
- Father sentenced to 25 years to life for drowning his daughter.
- He falsely reported his 9-year-old daughter as kidnapped.
- The daughter's body was discovered concealed under a rock.
Luciano Frattolin, 46, was sentenced on October 14, 2026, to 25 years to life for the murder of his 9-year-old daughter, Melina Galanis Frattolin. The crime occurred in July 2025 during a vacation in upstate New York.
Frattolin initially reported his daughter missing, fabricating a story about her being kidnapped by two men. However, Melina's body was discovered the next day in a pond, hidden under a rock. Autopsy results confirmed her cause of death was drowning, and the manner of death was homicide.
During the trial, Frattolin was convicted of second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse. The judge emphasized Frattolin's failure to protect his daughter and his self-delusion. Frattolin's attorney has filed a notice of appeal following the sentencing.
Melina resided in Montreal with her mother, Kali Galanis, who had sole custody. She had expressed apprehension about traveling to Ethiopia with her father, leading Galanis to agree to a domestic vacation in New York instead.
