Luciano Frattolin, father of 9-year-old, Melinda, has been charged with second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of a corpse, after his daughter’s body was found on Sunday, July 20, just before she was to be returned to his wife, with whom he is estranged.
Frattolin, a Canadian man vacationing in Upstate New York, had allegedly filed a missing persons report for her just hours earlier, prompting an AMBER Alert in the Lake George area. New York State Police Forest Rangers found Melinda in a shallow body of water in Ticonderoga, with no clear signs of abduction, according to police.
Shortly before Frattolin’s 911 call, Melinda had been on the phone with her mother where she allegedly sounded to be under no distress, according to police.
“He fabricated the initial report of abduction,” said New York State Police Capt. Robert McConnell during a news conference.
Frattolin was brought into Essex County Jail at 2:04 a.m. on Monday, July 21, and has since been taken to Ticonderoga Town Court early Monday afternoon for his arraignment. He has pleaded not guilty.
An exact cause of death has not yet been determined, and an autopsy is expected later today, Monday, July 21. The motive is still under investigation.
“This is certainly a difficult case and a heartbreaking investigation,” McConnell said. “The best we can do is provide some measure of justice to the family.”
