Luciano Frattolin is charged with second-degree murder after his nine-year-old daughter Melina’s body was found in upstate New York.Supplied
A Montreal man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his nine-year-old daughter in upstate New York.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, is being held at the Essex County Jail after the body of his daughter, Montreal resident Melina Frattolin, was found on Sunday in the town of Ticonderoga, N.Y., about two hours south of her home. Mr. Frattolin had reported Melina missing to local police on Saturday night and an Amber Alert had been issued for her.
New York State Police now believe that Mr. Frattolin fabricated the missing-person report, including details of a suspicious white van in the vicinity, and allege that he killed Melina and left her in the shallow end of a pond in a remote area.
He has also been charged with concealment of a human corpse. Charging documents submitted to court by police allege that Mr. Frattolin attempted to hide his daughter’s body under a log.
In a court appearance on Monday morning, Mr. Frattolin pleaded not guilty to both counts, according to Ticonderoga court clerk Roberta Cooper. He is being represented by the Essex County Public Defender’s Office.
Canadian girl found dead in upstate New York, no signs of possible abduction, police say
The father and daughter were driving back to Montreal, where Melina lived with her mother, after a vacation in New York State and Connecticut, state police said in a press conference Monday morning. The nine-year-old called her mother around 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday to say she was on her way home and did not seem to be in distress, police said.
The girl’s father and mother had been “estranged” since 2019, but the mother was aware of the trip and not concerned for her daughter’s safety, said Captain Robert McConnell.
Mr. Frattolin is the owner of Montreal coffee-bean seller Gambella Coffee. A biography on the company website says he was born in a remote Ethiopian village to an Ethiopian mother and Italian father.
New York State Police referred to him as a resident of Montreal, while corporate records list his home address as being in Addis Ababa.
In a written statement to The Globe and Mail, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, Thida Ith, said the agency is “aware of the arrest of an individual in the United States in relation to the death of a Canadian citizen.”
The department did not respond to questions about Mr. Frattolin’s citizenship, citing privacy considerations.
His biography describes his daughter Melina as the “light of his life” and his “inspiration.”
“Melina has also taught Luciano to let go of his rigid tendencies to keep everything in ‘perfect order’ – his love for Melina’s messy art projects and chaotic ensemble of toys supersedes his love for a meticulously spotless home,” it says.
Authorities in New York have arrested a Montreal man who reported his nine-year-old daughter missing before she was found dead.
The Associated Press
Mr. Frattolin appeared to travel extensively around the world, from Las Vegas to Shanghai to Sydney, Australia, and documented his travels on social media. He also documented many of Melina’s firsts.
“First day at the beach,” Mr. Frattolin captioned a photo of himself holding Melina as an infant, her toes dangling in shallow water.
Police said the father and daughter had most recently been in New York as part of a “planned vacation.”
At about 10 p.m. on Saturday, Mr. Frattolin called local police to report his daughter missing with a possible abduction, saying he had pulled over in the area of Lake George, N.Y., to urinate, and that when he returned, Melina was gone, with a suspicious white van fleeing. He later said he had seen two men shove her into the van.
Based on inconsistencies in his account, police began searching in the Ticonderoga area. Dozens of officers were involved in the search for Melina, across multiple police forces, including aviation, drones and K9 units.
“Every resource we had, we applied to this investigation,” Capt. McConnell said. “This is certainly a difficult case and a heartbreaking investigation.”
Mr. Frattolin has no criminal record or history of domestic violence, according to Capt. McConnell. There were no known concerns about his mental health, he added. His motive is still under investigation.
Melina’s cause of death has not yet been determined. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
With reports from Stephanie Chambers