SF man arrested in cold case murder of wife, whose body was found floating in bay in 1982: police

FOSTER CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- Police in Foster City made an arrest in a decades-old cold case murder, the department said on Monday.

In 1982, the body of Nancy Galvani was found floating inside a sleeping bag near the San Mateo Bridge. The case remained cold until recent developments, according to the Foster City Police Department.

On Monday, Nancy's former husband, now 81 years old, was arrested in San Francisco and was booked into jail in San Mateo County on suspicion of murder.

The suspect, Patrick Galvani, made his first court appearance and is facing murder charges for Nancy's death.

"When somebody is murdered, the case is never closed. It may be inactive but never closed," said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County District Attorney.

The couple's daughter was 5 years old at the time of the murder.

Investigators credit her for pushing for justice. On Monday, she learned of her father's arrest.

"She was so grateful that people had listened to her. She began to fear that perhaps people were not listening," said DA Wagstaffe.

Forty-three years ago, the body of Nancy Galvani was found floating inside a sleeping bag near the San Mateo Bridge. Back then, Patrick Galvani had charges brought against him, but they were later dropped.

When ABC7 News asked why was he released back then, DA Wagstaffe said, "We had a couple of witnesses who were not available. They couldn't be found."

In a statement, the Foster City police department said, in part:

"Despite extensive efforts over the years, the case remained unsolved until recent developments allowed investigators to move forward."

When asked if those witnesses are speaking now, Wagstaffe said, "They've talked to us, and we believe they will be important witnesses in the trial."

For the last four decades, Wagstaffe worked on the case before becoming the San Mateo County District Attorney.

ABC7 News asked what is so strong about what investigators have now compared to 40 years ago. "We think it creates the circumstances surrounding his motive for the crime, how he did it, and where he kept her during the time period because the body, we don't believe, was disposed of for a couple of days. So we think we now have evidence that sort of establishes where that was, how he did it, where it came up and why he did a few things that we previously didn't know," said DA Wagstaffe.

In a statement, Patrick Galvani's attorney Douglas Horngrad said, "Mr. Galvani is innocent. This murder charge was filed against him years ago, and the case was dismissed for lack of evidence. As I understand it, the evidence is the same, and we believe the outcome will be the same. Mr. Galvani will be exonerated again."

Patrick Galvani is due back in court on Dec. 5.

Full Foster City Police Dept. statement:

"The Foster City Police Department announces the arrest of a suspect in connection with a long-standing cold case. On Monday, November 24, 2025, investigators located and arrested the suspect in San Francisco without incident.
The 81-year-old suspect, Patrick Galvani (12/26/1943), was taken into custody after detectives re-opened the case. The original incident occurred in 1982, when the body of the suspect's estranged wife, Nancy Galvani, was found floating inside a sleeping bag near the San Mateo Bridge. Despite extensive efforts over the years, the case remained unsolved until recent developments allowed investigators to move forward.
Following his arrest in San Francisco, Patrick Galvani was transported and booked into the San Mateo County Jail on the murder charge.
This remains an active and ongoing investigation. No additional details are being released at this time. The Foster City Police Department extends its sincere appreciation to the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office for their invaluable assistance and support throughout this case. Anyone with information related to this case is urged to contact the Foster City Police Department Detective Bureau at 286-3300 or our Tip Line at 286-3323."

Bay City News contributed to this report