Driven by a vengeful obsession with his ex-wife, a father stands convicted of taking the life of his young daughter. According to prosecutors, Canadian coffee entrepreneur Luciano Frattolin has been convicted of second-degree murder and concealment of a body after drowning his 9-year-old daughter in a shallow swamp to avenge a bitter split with his ex-wife.

A 13-member jury handed the guilty verdict on Monday against the 46-year-old founder of organic coffee brand Gambella, which brings a swift end to the trial surrounding the murder of his daughter, Melina.

Authorities argued that Frattolin spent the summer of 2025 taking the young girl on a trek across the Northeast United States. They believe that the trip served as a calculated plot that ultimately led to her death last year.

The body of 9-year-old Melina Frattolin was discovered on July 19, 2025, hidden beneath a log in a remote pond in Ticonderoga, New York. Her father first contacted authorities around 9:30 p.m. on that day from Lake George. He claimed that a suspect forced Melina into a white van.

He told authorities he pursued the vehicle for up to 20 minutes before stopping in Warren County to call 911. Following his statement, investigators launched a massive regional search where law enforcement stopped white vans across the area.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Luciano 😅 (@lucianofrattolin)

While Frattolin initially allowed officers to search his vehicle and cellphones, his story kept changing as new evidence emerged. Prosecutors stated that while on a ride-along to locate the alleged abduction site, Frattolin repeatedly redirected officers on a route that took hours instead of minutes.

He also originally told investigators he was unable to call for help immediately after the alleged abduction because his cellphone had slipped between the seats of his rental vehicle. However, prosecutors presented evidence showing that during that same timeframe, he texted the child’s mother, Kali Galanis, assuring her that Melina would be home within 10 minutes.

Frattolin often shared snippets of the time spent with his daughter on social media. In one of his latest posts, he uploaded a clip of himself swimming with his daughter. “Two kids having fun,” he wrote in the caption.

“Pizza with my favorite girl,” read another post.

“Happy Orthodox Easter from my Rabbit,” he wrote in a separate post which featured a picture of Melina with face paint on.

In courtroom cam footage posted by CBS6 Albany, Frattolin can be seen standing in the courtroom, refusing to maintain eye contact with the judge. He briefly looked at the jury members as they delivered the guilty verdict. He didn’t show any remorse while prosecutors spoke of his daughter’s death.

Judge Tatiana N. Coffinger announced that the defense and prosecution attorneys have until September 10 to file formal legal requests, arguments, or “motions” with the court. She also scheduled the final sentencing hearing for Wednesday, October 14.

“…based on the same reasons as before, but now in fact, Mr. Frattolin has been convicted of a felony. It’s appropriate for me to be remanded pending sentencing. So, at this time, I will remand Mr. Frattolin into the custody of the Essex County Correctional Facility pending sentencing,” she said.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently verify all facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record and video footage.