Luciano Frattolin, a 45-year-old man from Montreal, has been charged with the murder of his nine-year-old daughter, Melina Frattolin, whose body was discovered in a pond in upstate New York. The tragic incident unfolded after Frattolin reported his daughter missing, claiming she had been abducted while they were on holiday, prompting authorities to issue an Amber Alert.
Frattolin had called emergency services on a Saturday night, saying that Melina had disappeared from a parking area near Lake George, a popular resort destination. However, inconsistencies in his statements raised suspicions among investigators, who found no evidence supporting his abduction claim. Initially, he stated that he lost track of Melina after stepping out of a wooded area. Following a second interview, Frattolin alleged that two unidentified men had forced her into a white van, a claim that was thoroughly investigated and dismissed by authorities.
Surveillance footage placed Frattolin and Melina in nearby Saratoga Springs at approximately 5.30 pm on Saturday, and subsequent phone records indicated that the girl had spoken to her mother about an hour after that, without indicating any distress. Police suspect that Frattolin may have killed Melina shortly after this conversation and before making his emergency call.
The girl’s body was found by forest rangers the following day, concealed under a log in shallow water about 48 kilometres north of Lake George in Ticonderoga. An autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death. Frattolin faces charges of murder and concealing a corpse.
During his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty, and contact attempts by the media received no responses from his appointed public defender. Frattolin had been on vacation in the U.S. since July 11, with plans to return to Montreal that weekend. He and Melina had been living apart from her mother, who has been estranged from him since 2019.
In a stark contrast to the accusations against him, Frattolin had previously depicted himself on social media as a devoted father, while his business website described Melina as “the light of his life.” Authorities have reported that he has no history of criminal behaviour or domestic violence. The investigation continues as the community grapples with the shocking details surrounding this heartbreaking case.