Police say “recent developments” led to the arrest of Patrick Galvani, 81, more than four decades after the body of Nancy Galvani was found near the San Mateo Bridge.
FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Police on Monday arrested an 81-year-old San Francisco man on suspicion of murdering his estranged wife in 1982, a case that has lingered for 43 years since her body was found in a sleeping bag floating near the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Patrick Vincent Galvani was booked into the San Mateo County jail and made an initial court appearance Tuesday.
Investigators said they reopened the case and moved to arrest Galvani after recent developments, which they did not describe. The victim, 36-year-old social worker Nancy Galvani, had left the marriage and was living apart when she was killed. The arrest places the decades-old homicide back in court in San Mateo County, where prosecutors previously dropped charges in 1982 for lack of evidence. The District Attorney’s Office now says the matter is again active, and a judge has set another hearing for early December as both sides prepare their next steps.
On Aug. 9, 1982, fishermen reported a body drifting under the span of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Authorities recovered Nancy Galvani, who investigators said had been wrapped in a sleeping bag; the bundle was weighted and her ankles were bound. At the time, she and the couple’s young daughter were living away from the family home, and court filings from that period show a turbulent separation and a contested custody case. Police questioned Patrick Galvani in the days after the discovery and briefly arrested him, but prosecutors halted the case that same year. “Despite extensive efforts over the years, the case remained unsolved until recent developments allowed investigators to move forward,” Foster City Police Chief Cory Call said in a statement.
Officials said Galvani was arrested without incident in San Francisco and transferred to San Mateo County to face a homicide charge. Prosecutors confirmed that he was arraigned Tuesday afternoon and that additional filings will be made as the investigation continues. District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe, who worked on the original matter early in his career, acknowledged that the 1982 dismissal followed the loss of key witnesses, saying some could not be found at the time. Defense attorney Douglas Horngrad said in a statement that his client “is innocent,” noting that the case was once dismissed and arguing that “the evidence is the same.” Jail records show Galvani is being held pending further proceedings; officials did not immediately disclose bail terms. The precise investigative steps that led to the arrest were not released, and police declined to discuss physical evidence recovered in 1982.
Records and prior public accounts portray a young family under strain in the months before the killing. Nancy Galvani had sought protection orders and was spending time at a women’s shelter in San Francisco while arranging care for the couple’s child. Friends and colleagues described her as a dedicated social worker who was planning a new start on the Peninsula. Detectives traced items recovered with the body, including the sleeping bag, to the couple’s household—or to places they had recently visited—according to contemporaneous reports. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by strangulation. Those details remained part of the case file as it moved through years of review by police and prosecutors, with periodic checks for new leads or forensic avenues.
The legal path of the case is central to the renewed proceedings now underway. Prosecutors said they refiled a murder complaint and brought Galvani before a judge in Redwood City for arraignment. A return date was set for Dec. 5, when the court is expected to address scheduling and discovery. If the case proceeds, a preliminary hearing would follow to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to hold Galvani for trial. The District Attorney’s Office has not indicated whether any new forensic testing, witness statements, or document troves prompted the arrest. Police asked anyone with information to contact Foster City detectives, and emphasized that the investigation remains active.
News of the arrest reached former neighbors and those who followed the case over the years. Some expressed relief that a suspect long connected to the file is again before the court; others noted the difficulty of trying a homicide so long after the fact, with memories faded and records scattered. “This is about accountability,” Wagstaffe said, adding that his office would present what it believes the evidence shows in the coming hearings. Horngrad countered that the 1982 dismissal should carry weight, saying, “We believe the outcome will be the same” once a judge reviews the file. Police declined to answer questions about what was recovered in 1982 and what, if anything, has been newly analyzed.
As of Wednesday, the case has returned to the courthouse with a new timeline and a familiar set of questions. Galvani remains in custody and is due back in court on Dec. 5. Investigators say they are continuing to review records from 1982 and recent interviews while they assess the next steps.
Author note: Last updated November 26, 2025.