Coffee Founder Convicted in Daughter’s Death

The investigation also focused on the final activity from Melina’s phone. Her mother, Kali Galanis, had been tracking the child’s location until the phone lost access after Melina and Frattolin stopped at a McDonald’s in Saratoga Springs earlier that evening. Authorities said that restaurant was the last place where Melina’s phone showed activity. Prosecutors also showed surveillance footage they said captured Frattolin wearing different clothing at the restaurant than he wore after reporting his daughter missing.

Other evidence presented at trial included wet clothing and shoes belonging to Frattolin that investigators found inside a garbage bag near Interstate 87. New York State Police investigator Daniel Mauro testified that Frattolin made another troubling remark during questioning, saying it “would’ve been easier” to murder Melina overseas in Italy or Ethiopia. Authorities also said they found handwritten notes in the Toyota Prius Frattolin rented for the trip, including one that referred to “ending the madness” and another that said, “Don’t let Melina suffer anymore.”

Galanis testified that her daughter had resisted traveling overseas with her father. She said Frattolin had wanted to take Melina to Ethiopia for two weeks in January 2025, but the child did not want to go. Galanis said she later blocked the overseas trip after worrying her daughter might not be returned. Frattolin then proposed a trip to New York, and Galanis agreed. Prosecutors said that domestic trip became part of the plan to kill the girl, while Frattolin maintained that Melina had been kidnapped.

The verdict brought an emotional scene in the courtroom, with family members reportedly sobbing and embracing when the guilty decision was announced. The case now moves to sentencing, and the outcome is a stark reminder of how quickly a family tragedy can become a major criminal case that captures public attention. For American readers, the Frattolin case shows how investigators can use phone data, surveillance, and vehicle records to test a suspect’s story, and why the sentencing date on Oct. 14 will be the next key moment to watch.