This story was reported by Lohr McKinstry and originally published in Plattsburgh, N.Y.’s Press-Republican.

ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. — The murder trial of Luciano Frattolin continued Wednesday and jurors were shown video of when his daughter Melina’s body was recovered in a marsh off Interstate-87 in Ticonderoga, N.Y.

New York State Police Sergeant and Troop G Underwater Recovery Team member Joseph J. Moeller took the stand to talk about the video, as Moeller had been tasked with recording the scene when the body was recovered on July 20, 2025.

Moeller said the area she was found in was best described as a wetland, marshy and in shallow water. There was debris and downed trees in the area as well.

All of this could be seen in the video Moeller took on the state police GoPro. Moeller and several other members of the Underwater Recovery Team from troops B and G could be seen approaching the marshy area where a body was floating in the water about 20 feet from the camera.

Moeller and other members were instructed not to approach until a police drone could take pictures of the scene. Once the drone completed photographing the scene, Moeller and others approached.

In the over 20-minute video, the nine-year-old is discovered in about a foot of water under what appeared to be a downed tree. As the video continued, recovery team members could be seen combing through the cloudy, murky water surrounding the body for evidence.

Moeller said no other evidence had been found in the water there besides an old beer can, which was not relevant to the case.

Police then removed a large rock from atop the torso, and a plastic bag came into view. Police were unable to remove the bag from whatever it was stuck to before placing the body into a yellow, mesh body bag.

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Moeller said these body bags are designed to maintain evidence and allow the water to drain out.

Frattolin, 46, of Montreal, is charged with killing his daughter and has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.

Frattolin had reported to police that two men in a white van kidnapped Melina from an I-87 rest stop, but investigators believe that was a fictional story.

The trial will continue in Essex County Court Thursday morning.