A Canadian man who reported his 9-year-old daughter missing during a vacation in upstate New York has been charged with her murder, after investigators uncovered discrepancies in his story.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, of Montreal, was charged Monday with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in connection with the death of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, according to New York State Police.
Authorities say Frattolin initially called 911 Saturday night, claiming Melina had been abducted from a parking lot near Lake George. An Amber Alert was issued, prompting a large-scale search. However, investigators quickly found inconsistencies in his account. Frattolin later alleged two unidentified men had forced Melina into a white van—claims police say were thoroughly investigated and ultimately disproven.
Surveillance footage placed the father and daughter together in Saratoga Springs around 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Melina also spoke with her mother by phone around 6:30 p.m. and gave no indication she was in distress. Authorities now believe Frattolin killed her sometime after that call and before reporting her missing.
On Sunday afternoon, forest rangers located Melina’s body in the shallows of a pond near Ticonderoga, about 30 miles north of Lake George. According to the criminal complaint, her body had been hidden beneath a log. An autopsy is pending.
During Monday’s arraignment, a not guilty plea was entered on Frattolin’s behalf. He is currently represented by a public defender; that office has not yet commented on the case.
Frattolin and his daughter had been vacationing in the U.S. since July 11 and were expected to return to Montreal over the weekend. Melina lived in Montreal with her mother, who has been estranged from Frattolin since 2019, police said.
Despite describing himself online as a “loving father,” and calling Melina “the light of his life” on his company website, Frattolin has not responded to messages sent via social media and business contacts. Authorities confirmed he had no prior criminal or domestic violence history.
