The mother of 9-year-old Melina Frattolin testified on Tuesday, July 29, 2026, that her daughter did not want to travel overseas with her father months before prosecutors allege he killed the girl during a summer trip to New York.

Kali Galanis told jurors in Essex County Court that her ex-partner, Luciano Frattolin, planned to take Melina to his native Ethiopia for two weeks in January 2025. However, the trip never occurred after Melina objected. "She didn't want to go," Galanis testified, adding she also grew increasingly uneasy about the proposed trip.

Galanis expressed concerns about allowing Melina to travel internationally with Frattolin following their separation in 2019. Her testimony highlighted family disagreements over Melina's travel arrangements and her worries about Frattolin's plans months before Melina's death.

Luciano Frattolin is currently on trial in Essex County, New York, facing charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse related to the death of Melina Frattolin.

The trial also included testimony from New York State Police investigator Daniel Mauro, who said Frattolin remarked during questioning that "it would've been easier" to kill his daughter overseas, including in Italy or Ethiopia.

Sources