Montreal father charged with murder after 9-year-old daughter found drowned in New York Pond
A tragic case has unfolded in upstate New York, where 9-year-old Melina Frattolin from Montreal was found drowned in a pond, and her father, Luciano Frattolin, has been charged with her murder.
Authorities confirmed Tuesday that preliminary autopsy results showed Melina’s cause of death as “asphyxia due to drowning,” officially classifying it as a homicide. Final autopsy results are still pending, according to New York State Police, News.Az reports, citing AP News.
On Saturday night, Frattolin, 45, called 911 to report that his daughter had gone missing from a parking lot near Lake George, a popular Adirondack resort town. He claimed two men had forced the child into a white van, prompting an Amber Alert and a large-scale search.
However, investigators quickly grew suspicious after finding inconsistencies in his story. There was no evidence of an abduction, and the search shifted focus.
On Sunday afternoon, a search team led by state forest rangers discovered Melina’s body in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga, approximately 30 miles north of Lake George. According to the criminal complaint, Frattolin had concealed her body under a log.
Frattolin pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and concealing a corpse on Monday and remains in custody at a county jail. Police revealed that he and Melina had been vacationing in the U.S. since July 11 and were due back in Montreal over the weekend. The girl lived with her mother, who has been estranged from Frattolin since 2019.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence to determine the circumstances leading to the child’s death.
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