A coffee company chief executive accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter had condoms and what prosecutors described as a troubling “confession” note in his rental car, a court has heard.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, was allegedly found with several gold-wrapped condoms inside bags recovered from the vehicle after he is accused of murdering his daughter, Melina, 9, during a trip to upstate New York last July.
New York State Police investigator Jacalyn Sommer told jurors in Essex County Court on Thursday that two stained pairs of Melina’s underwear showed indications of “seminal fluid,” according to the New York Post.
Sommer also testified that a shirt and pair of shorts belonging to Frattolin, who leads the Canadian coffee company Gambella, allegedly showed signs of the same fluid.
The investigator said, however, that Frattolin’s clothing had not undergone further testing.
Melina’s body was discovered last July in the shallow water of a pond in Ticonderoga, New York. Authorities determined her death was a homicide, caused by asphyxia due to drowning.
Frattolin, who has pleaded not guilty, initially told police his daughter had been abducted by men driving a white van.
The court also heard Thursday that investigators found a document labeled “closure/confession” inside Frattolin’s gray 2024 Toyota Prius rental car, the outlet reported.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, allegedly had condoms in bags found inside his rental car after he allegedly killed his 9-year-old daughter Melina during a vacation to New York State last July
A police investigator testified Thursday in court that two stained pairs of Melina’s underpants had shown signs of ‘seminal fluid’
In the document, which was a draft press release directed at Canadian media, Frattolin called his ex-wife Kali Galanis ‘the queen of evil.’
The document was reportedly written in the case that Frattolin was able to secure custody of Melina.
Melina would have been returned to the custody of Galanis in Montreal, Canada, after the dad and daughter returned from the US.
‘You were not supposed to be a mother for a reason,’ Frattolin wrote in the disparaging note, reported by the New York Post.
‘Death is better than living with you,’ he added. ‘Your Dad is the only one who can control you.’
Frattolin also said that ‘the problem was never me,’ as he blasted his former partner.
‘It was always your mental illness,’ Frattolin added, according to the outlet.
The document seemed to represent a conversation between Frattolin and Galanis, though it was unclear whether said dialogue had ever happened.
Frattolin has been charged with second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse in connection to the death of his daughter Melina
Luciano Frattolin, seen being brought into the Essex County Court in Elizabethtown, New York, has pleaded not guilty. He previously claimed his daughter was kidnapped by men in a van
Investigators also said that Frattolin had jotted down a 10-year ‘father’s report’ that was later found in the glovebox of his rental car
Frattolin was also accused of jotting down a 10-year ‘father’s report,’ which was in the glovebox of his rental.
The coffee executive scribbled notes for ‘Plan A’ and ‘Plan B’ on that document, according to prosecutors.
Most of the documents that authorities found in Frattolin’s rental were stuffed inside an Ikea grocery bag.
He also had pictures of his ex-wife, Galanis, as well as baby photos of Melina.
Frattolin also had user manuals for a Porsche among his belongings, according to authorities.
On Thursday, New York State police also revealed that more than 200,000 location data points had been picked up by smartphone apps as part of their probe into Melina’s death.
Investigator Ryan Munks testified that the data, which was extracted from Frattolin’s phone, was a larger set than most inquiries he’s been involved in, per the Canadian Press.
‘That’s a lot,’ Munks told the court. ‘One of the most I’ve ever seen.’
Frattolin, the head of Canadian coffee company Gambella, also allegedly had a document with the title ‘closure/confession’ in his rental car
Frattolin was also said to have been carrying baby pictures of Melina, as well as photos of his ex-wife Kali Galanis, whom he labeled the ‘queen of evil’ in another discovered document
Melina was found dead in Ticonderoga, New York, last July. She was going to be returned home to her mother in Montreal before her death
Melina messaged her mother on her phone to get in touch with one of her friends prior to her disappearance and death, according to Munks.
He testified that Frattolin’s phone had remained stationary next to a country road for about an hour before the dad reported Melina’s supposed disappearance.
Galanis previously told jurors that Frattolin wanted to take Melina to his native Ethiopia for two weeks in January 2025, according to the New York Post.
However, their young daughter protested that ‘she didn’t want to go.’
Galanis said she had become concerned about Frattolin’s plans to travel overseas with Melina because her lawyer noted cases where estranged spouses took their children to other countries and did not return.
The mom added that there were other ‘troubling and alarming things’ Melina had revealed about her father.
‘I became uncomfortable,’ Galanis testified. ‘I was not OK with that anymore.’
Galanis said Frattolin then suggested a trip to New York with Melina, which eventually happened last July.
Frattolin is facing charges of second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse, as the second week of his legal case wraps up.
His trial is expected to continue into next week.
