Marcello Molinari Long Island man charged in stabbing murder of missing wife Melissa after she allegedly had an extramarital affair.
A Long Island mother of four who had been missing for weeks was found fatally stabbed up to 20 times — with authorities arresting the woman’s husband and charging the man with murder charges, authorities said Friday.
Melissa Molinari, 38, was reported missing on Dec. 2, 11 days after she was last seen at her Lolly Lane home in Centereach, Suffolk County Police said.
Cops believe just days after Nov. 21 she was stabbed by her husband about 20 times in their basement, where blood and other evidence was found, WABC reported.
Investigators found the mom’s body Thursday in the Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest off Currans Road in Middle Island, authorities said.
Cops say cell phone data revealed her husband, Marcello Molinari, 43, had visited the same wooded area just two weeks earlier on the morning of Nov. 23.
Husband joined dating websites after wife went missing
Marcello was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. He was held without bail after arraignment at First District Court in Central Islip Friday, reports say.
Prosecutors believe Marcello started plotting the murder in early November following a trip to Disney World where he discovered his wife was allegedly having an extramarital affair, leading to a confrontation and the family ‘abruptly’ leaving the Florida venue according to reports.
The Centereach parents returned to their Long Island home Nov. 5 where they planned to live together until the couple could sell the house and finalize a divorce, prosecutors in Suffolk County said Friday. But two weeks later, Melissa Molinari went missing.
It wasn’t until early December that the mother of four was reported missing by a family friend and not the woman’s husband as the children of the missing mother of four were left without their mother during Thanksgiving.
Marcello allegedly searched for countries where he couldn’t be extradited for homicide, prosecutors said.
Defense attorney, Christopher Gioe, suggested there could be constitutional issues surrounding Marcello’s arrest.
‘The first time he was given an attorney was here at the courthouse,’ Gioe said, according to ABC. ‘He’s informed me that he has asked for an attorney from the beginning of this investigation and he was denied the entire time. There’s certainly going to be an investigation conducted by the defense in this case and we’re certainly going to proceed forward with a trial in this manner.’
The husband according to reports during his wife’s abrupt disappearance had facial plastic surgery along with joining online dating sites.
Melissa Molinari’s body was transported to the Suffolk County medical examiner, where an autopsy will be conducted.
Marcello Molinari remains held in custody without bond.
