Ticonderoga, N.Y. ― A 9-year-old girl believed to have been killed by her father while on vacation in Upstate New York died by drowning, State Police said Tuesday.
Melina Frattolin was killed between 7:40 p.m. and 9:12 p.m. Saturday in a wooded area off of State Route 74, State Police wrote in a criminal complaint filed in Ticonderoga Town Court. Her father, Luciano Frattolin, hid her body under a log in a waterway, Troopers wrote.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, falsely reported that Melina was abducted by two men in a white van after she was killed, Capt. Robert McConnell, a spokesperson for State Police, said during a news conference Monday morning.
Preliminary results of Melina’s autopsy showed that the child died from asphyxiation due to drowning, according to a news release from State Police Tuesday. The manner of death was ruled a homicide, troopers said.
Melina’s body was found in a shallow portion of a pond in the town of Ticonderoga in Essex County with “no indication” of being abducted, troopers said.
Frattolin was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
The father and daughter were visiting New York City, Connecticut and other areas in Upstate New York and were scheduled to return to Canada on Sunday, McConnell said.
Melina was set to return to her mother’s home in Montreal, where she lived full time, McConnell said. Melina’s mother and Frattolin have been estranged since 2019.
Troopers said Melina’s mother had no concerns for her daughter’s safety while she was with her father. Her mother knew that he was taking her on a trip to the United States, they said.
Frattolin has no criminal record or history of domestic violence, McConnell said. He said there is no indication Frattolin had a history of mental health issues.
State Police announced Tuesday that they are seeking the public’s help gathering additional evidence.
Troopers are seeking video evidence or eyewitness accounts of the 2024 gray Toyota Prius that the father and daughter were traveling in from July 11 to July 19.
Investigators are specifically interested in the area of I-87 North between Exit 28 (North Schroon Lake: US 9, NY 74 to Ticonderoga) and Exit 20 (Fort Ann, Queensbury, Lake George, NY 149 and US 9).
Troopers ask anyone with information about the vehicle to contact State Police at (518) 873-2750 or crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.
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