Georgios Boultadakis Allegedly Choked His Partner to Death in the Basement of Their Home

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on March 26 that Georgios Boultadakis, 25, of East Meadow, was indicted for Murder in the Second Degree, for allegedly killing his partner, John Melnikoff, Jr., in 2022.

“The indictment here charges the tragic and brutal murder of a domestic partner,” said District Attorney Tierney. “We are committed to ensuring that the victim’s voice is heard, standing firm against domestic violence and advocating for the safety of all citizens.”

According to the investigation, on August 8, 2022, shortly after 6:00 a.m., Boultadakis, a former Town of Oyster Bay Parks Department employee, called 911 to report that he found Melnikoff passed out at the foot of the basement stairs of their Huntington Station home and was not moving or breathing. The 911 operator who took his call instructed Boultadakis on how to perform lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The defendant’s statements and actions during the call created reasonable belief in the operator that CPR was being performed. When police arrived at the scene, Melnikoff was pronounced dead.

Based on the initial scene investigation, the lack of evidence of a struggle, and no obvious signs of foul play, the matter was initially treated as an unattended death investigation.

On August 10, 2022, an autopsy determined that Melnikoff suffered fractures to the hyoid bone and left horn of the thyroid cartilage as well as soft tissue hemorrhaging.

The findings turned the case into a homicide investigation, with the cause of death determined to be due to neck compression. On March 3, 2025, after an extensive investigation, Boultadakis was arrested.

Justice Mazzei ordered Boultadakis remanded during the pendency of the case. Boultadakis is due back in court on April 16, 2025, and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted on the top count. He is represented by William Keahon, Esq.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Dena Rizopoulos of the Homicide Bureau and Veronica McMahon of the Major Crime Bureau, and the investigation was conducted by Detective Frankie Sierra of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Homicide Squad.