Ticonderoga, N.Y. — The father of a 9-year-old girl who was found dead after being reported abducted Saturday evening in Upstate New York has been charged with her murder, authorities said.
Melina Frattolin’s body was found in the shallow portion of a pond in the town of Ticonderoga in Essex County, troopers said.
Her father, Luciano Frattolin, 45, was charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse, a spokesperson for state police said during a news conference Monday morning.
He is set to be arraigned in Ticonderoga town court and is being held in the Essex County Jail, troopers said.
Melina was originally reported abducted in Lake George on Saturday and last seen in a van near Exit 22 (Lake George Village) on the Adirondack Northway (Interstate 87). That’s about an hour south of where her body was found.
On July 11, Luciano Frattolin and Melina — both residents of Montreal, Quebec — legally entered the United States for a vacation, troopers said.
They were expected to return to Canada on Sunday, and Melina was to be returned to her mother in Montreal, where she lived full time, troopers said. Melina’s mother and Luciano Frattolin have been estranged since 2019, they said.
Melina was seen with her father on video surveillance in Saratoga Springs, troopers said. About an hour later, Melina spoke to her mother on the phone and told her she and her father were driving back to Canada, they said.
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.
Melina appeared to be in good health and showed no signs of distress, troopers said. Investigators believe that sometime after her phone call with her mother — and before Luciano Frattolin called 911 on Saturday — she was killed and her body left in a remote area, where it was later found by law enforcement, they said.
Initial reports from Luciano Frattolin of a suspicious white van in the area Melina was reported to be abducted were also proven to be untrue, troopers said.
Troopers said Luciano Frattolin has no criminal history or a history of domestic violence.
Luciano Frattolin had called 911 at about 10 p.m. Saturday to report his daughter had been abducted, O’Neil said.
An AMBER Alert was issued for Melina at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. It said the child “was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death.”
The Warren County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case before the State Police took over. Law enforcement identified “inconsistencies” in Luciano Frattolin’s account of events and the timeline he provided, according Trooper Stephanie O’Neil, a spokesperson for the State Police.
A state Department of Environmental Conservation’s officer found Melina’s body during a grid search in the Ticonderoga area, according to a news release from James McCartney, the president of the Police Benevolent Association of New York State, the union that represents DEC officers.
There is no indication that an abduction occurred, O’Neil said, and there is no threat to the public.
Troopers are awaiting autopsy reports to determine Melina’s cause of death.
Staff writer Darian Stevenson covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at dstevenson@syracuse.com
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