Father of 9-year-old Melina Frattolin charged with murder

ESSEX COUNTY, N.Y. (WTEN)– The father of the 9-year-old girl found dead in Ticonderoga after being reported missing has been charged with murder and the concealment of a human corpse, according to New York State Police during a press conference on Monday. Luciano Frattolin, 45, is being held at the Essex County Jail.

According to State Police, at about 9:58 p.m. on Saturday, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Frattolin reporting his daughter — identified as Melina Frattolin — missing, with a possible abduction, near Exit 22 on the Northway. The initial AMBER Alert, issued early Sunday morning, had also reported that the 9-year-old was last seen in a white van heading southbound.

Melina’s body was located in the shallow part of a pond in Ticonderoga on Sunday around 10:50 a.m., authorities said. Court documents accuse the father of hiding her body under a log.

Both Luciano Frattolin and his daughter were residents of Montreal, Canada. State Police said that he and his daughter had legally entered the United States on July 11 for vacation and were expected to return to Canada on Sunday, where she would be returned to the full-time custody of her mother. The father and mother have reportedly been estranged since 2019.

At 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, the 9-year-old girl was seen on video surveillance at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, police said. About an hour later, Melina reportedly spoke with her mother on the phone to tell her they were on their way back to Canada. According to State Police, she appeared to be in good health and under no duress.

“The investigation has determined, sometime after Melina’s phone call with her mother and before Mr. Frattolin’s 911 call, he allegedly murdered Melina and left her body in a remote area where she was later discovered by law enforcement,” State Police Troop G Captain Robert McConnell said during Monday’s press conference.

Luciano Frattolin has been charged with second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse, State Police said. He was arraigned at Ticonderoga Town Court at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty.

On Sunday, troopers said that law enforcement officials involved in the investigation found “inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided.”

When asked about the “inconsistencies” during Monday’s press conference, Captain McConnell said that Luciano initially reported that he had pulled over in the area of exit 22 in Lake George to urinate in a wooded area. He said that, when he returned to his car, Melina was missing, with a “suspicious white van” fleeing from the scene.

In a subsequent interview, the father allegedly said that “two unknown males forced” his daughter into a white van. State Police reportedly investigated his claims and found that they were “fabricated.”

The cause of death for Melina Frattolin is still pending, with an autopsy scheduled for later on Monday. Luciano Frattolin, who reportedly had no prior criminal history or history of domestic violence, will be prosecuted in New York State. A felony hearing is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m.

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