ELIZABETHTOWN — The fourth day of the Luciano Frattolin murder trial today saw the murdered girl’s mother, Kali Galanis, testify that Melina didn’t want to go on a trip to Ethiopia with her dad.
Galanis, who resides in Montreal, said Frattolin first wanted to take Melina to his native country for two weeks, but she refused to allow that when her daughter objected.
Frattolin instead got permission from Galanis to take Melina on a U.S. vacation, at the end of which he is accused of drowning her in a marsh in Ticonderoga, a few miles off Interstate-87.
Frattolin, 46, of Montreal, is charged with killing his daughter, and has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
Galanis said Melina told her Frattolin was saying alarming and troubling things to her, which was another reason to veto the African trip.
“I became uncomfortable,” she said in court.
The relationship between Frattolin and Galanis ended in 2019, and Galanis had full custody of Melina.
The jury also heard continuing testimony from New York State Police Investigator Daniel Mauro that, when he asked Frattolin if he had any reason to murder his daughter, Frattolin said it would have been easier to do that in Ethiopia or Italy, where he also had citizenship.
Frattolin has reported to police that two men in a white van kidnapped Melina from an I-87 rest stop, but investigators believe that was a fictional story.
The trial will resume Wednesday in Essex County Court, with Galanis continuing her testimony at 9:15 a.m.