ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. (WCAX/Gray News) – A Montreal man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years to life in prison for killing his 9-year-old daughter and concealing her body in New York.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, was convicted by a jury in August for killing his 9-year-old daughter, Melina, in Ticonderoga on their way back from vacation in July 2025.
New York State Police said Warren County 911 received a call from Frattolin reporting that his 9-year-old daughter was missing in a possible abduction, which led to an AMBER Alert being issued.
Hours after the alert was issued, Melina was found dead. Her body was found north of Lake George Village, near the state border with Vermont.
Investigators said the pair had been traveling through parts of the Northeast together for the last week and were headed back to Canada when Frattolin allegedly killed his daughter and dumped her body.
“You tried to show her how much fun you could have with her, and something happened, and no one other than you will be able to tell us what happened. Like everyone that has heard of this story, everyone wants to know why,” the judge said.
During the trial, prosecutors said cellphone and car data placed Frattolin in the Ticonderoga area the night Melina was killed, even as he insisted she was kidnapped and denied being there.
The district attorney also pointed to notes Frattolin wrote mentioning “ending the madness” and making a decision about Melina, who he claimed was mentally ill.
The judge handed down a sentence of 25 years to life for second-degree murder and a consecutive sentence of one to three years for hiding Melina’s body.
“We continue to suffer deeply since the day Melina was brutally murdered. Nothing can bring Melina back, but we are relieved that this chapter is over,” said Essex County District Attorney Michael Langey.
Despite being satisfied with the sentence, Langey said he’d like to see changes in the state’s criminal justice system regarding who can be charged with first-degree murder, which carries the potential for longer sentences and no eligibility for parole.
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