NY - Melina Frattolin, 9, Abducted, seen 9:40pm in a white van traveling south on I-87 near exit 22, Lake George, 19 Jul 2025 *arrest*

[The Zookeeper]

Unfortunately, I think this is going to boil down to money. This man was obviously living a fake lifestyle that he couldn’t sustain. By “eliminating” this precious child, he no longer had to pay child support (or continue to rack up past due child support if he wasn’t paying it.) I’m thinking that he thought the “white van” story of a kidnapping would garner him sympathy. I’m thinking he is a classic narcissist.

 

[charminglane]

He could have wanted to start a Go F Me account for some funds.
Sympathy dollars.for his missing daughter/search expenses.
That can rack up.

 

[abyquinn]

LE went for 2nd degree murder, hence no premeditation. Interesting. I also wonder if he ever had the intention at all to get her back to her mum.
But if accidental, why all the kidnapping 2 men plus white van nonsense and hiding her under a log in a pond in a forest. Just call 911 and get help.
Does not make much sense. Looks intentional to me.
Jmo

I’ve seen this 2nd degree charge mentioned several times, am I remembering wrong that in NY 1st degree murder is used when a LEO is killed, 2nd degree murder of civilians carries the same weight as 1st degree in other states? It’s been several years since I’ve closely followed any murders in NY, so I maybe remembering wrong or the laws may have changed.

If murder was his plan all along, and the fun trip to NY was part of this, premeditation is a huge piece of the puzzle. Thankfully his plan wasn’t well thought out and it took very little time for him to cave, since his little girl was stashed 45 miles away from where he claimed she was kidnapped. Monster. How they walk among us and blend in for years.

 

[lesleyNOPE]

NYS has a wonky way of charging murders. It is VERY hard to reach the level of 1st degree in NYS. It has nothing to do with pre-meditation.

ETA: Look at how they charged Luigi Mangione. So many were furious it was not 1st degree to start with. They only were able to go from 2nd to 1st degree because they used terrorism as an enhancer.

NYS didn’t charge him, the Feds did, which is completely different.

 

[CityKid]

LE went for 2nd degree murder, hence no premeditation. Interesting. I also wonder if he ever had the intention at all to get her back to her mum.
But if accidental, why all the kidnapping 2 men plus white van nonsense and hiding her under a log in a pond in a forest. Just call 911 and get help.
Does not make much sense. Looks intentional to me.
Jmo

Premeditation is not part of the NYS statute for first degree murder (intent is). I posted it earlier in these threads but I'm posting it again here, since it's phrased differently from how it's phrased in other states.

NYS Open Legislation | NYSenate.gov

www.nysenate.gov

 

[Inthedetails]

NYS didn’t charge him, the Feds did, which is completely different.

I am checking that and only see references to the State of New York charging him. Can you share the link that he is facing Federal charges?

tia

 

[lesleyNOPE]

I am checking that and only see references to the State of New York charging him. Can you share the link that he is facing Federal charges?

tia

I’m talking about Luigi Mangione, the other poster was comparing their charges.

 

[SMK777]

I’m talking about Luigi Mangione, the other poster was comparing their charges.

Right, Luigi Mangione was federally charged; Melina's father Luciano Frattolin, was not.

 

[Inthedetails]

I’m talking about Luigi Mangione, the other poster was comparing their charges.

Got it. Thanks.

jmo

 

[Jw192]

Ah man not another one

Just gonna ramble my thoughts with what's been released so far, so apologies if it's all amushy.

Ok, so it's reported that mama had zero concerns about little Melina spending lumps of time with the father alone and travelling, and it would seem that way since 2019 when they separated - That makes me question the motive of this being some sort of revenge against the mama because she has primary custody. If that was the case, I would think that there would have been issues way before now regarding custody disputes/arguments etc... Which would give mama a reason to have concerns about father - which she states she didn't have. Same with any abuse - Iffffff father had been abusing or neglecting Melina in any way over a long period of time, I believe that there would be some signs, especially in a 9yr old and that would bring about even slight concerns from mama who would then not state that she had zero concerns about her daughter spending so much 1on1 time with the father... That said, who knows in this horrible world? It's a possibility but imo unlikely in this case.
All of the financial stuff is very interesting and imo could very possibly play a part, however, it seems like the worst of his financial poo show happened mid 2024 and I'm sure he has had numerous bouts of time with Melina since then, resulting in nothing happening to her. I'm not sure I buy the motive of "saving her from his financial ruin/big bad world" motive as if that was the case, wouldn't it have happened when the worst of his financial issues were happening? Also, I'm not sure why he would just remove Melina from the situation and make no attempts to remove himself also? Coward? Possibly, so many are.
The whole coffee site bio stuff is a tad bizarre but not wholly unusual for these wannabe entrepreneur/LinkedIn Lunatic types to reel off their life stories to pull at heartstrings and try make themselves more appealing - a father doting on his daughter is appealing equaling more possible sales - The rigid stuff stands out though. This dude seems to like to be in control of his surroundings to a degree and as we know, over the past year + it's all unravelling some. The b&b scam malarkey - it states he's currently suing people over it, which imo shows that he doesn't accept accountability of his scam and possibly believes he can crawl/fight his way out of the hole? So imo he wasn't giving in on the financial/business side of things...
I'm just laying my thoughts out and it's early days yet with not much released by LE. Will be interesting to know COD as I believe that will tell a lot more to the case. Head injury? Possible falling accident/neglectful parenting, he panicked, dumped little Melina and used the most idiotic generic story of a "man in a white van"? Not too sure if that will be the case. Asphyxia? I think this to be the likely cause. Possibly choked or suffocated Melina in a rage* dumped her in the pond and then in a panic used the generic white van excuse?
* What could have caused the rage if so? We don't know anything about his mental health at present so couldddd be a possibility, we also don't know what this "life altering incident" was back in 2019/2020 - maybe an accident with head injury? Though he managed to make attempts to conceal her little body and make up the van blag so that shows coherent/rational thought and deception. Maybe Melina said or did something that brought about a red mist rage? He admits that he's a neat freak, maybe she made a mess/broke something that tipped him over - he was going through stresses that we know about which could have been an added factor - Again though, it seems like the worst of the financial stuff has already happened/come to light and he was making attempts to fix them by suing, so I would expect if this was the case, it would have happened at its peak - unless he received news of something (phone records around the time will be interesting) and then Melina said or done something that made him blow up?

Again, just my rambling thoughts. I reckon the charges at present may change some when more investigation is done but I hope with all of my hopes that this man is locked away for the rest of his days

ETA - spelling as I'm rubbish when I ramble

 

[freudianslip]

From his "How I met your mother " Instagram post, she is a beautiful woman, as was her little girl. I can't imagine the pain she's going through.

A few things stand out to me (speculation, IMOO):

Unacceptable separation: In February 2019, he went through "an unfortunate event that severely affected his well-being". That same year, he and Melina's mother separated and she got sole custody of their then 2-3 year old daughter

Loss of bearings: Unlike his daughter, he isn't a Canadian citizen. He comes on a visa every year for a few months. He has dual Ethiopian and Italian citizenship.

Self-centeredness: He tried to put his Ethiopian-Italian roots to good use by founding Gambella Coffee (date unknown). However, the company's website is essentially centered around himself (Our story = childhood pictures, About us - Our people = himself as founder)

Façade: In his (bloated, imo) bio, he describes himself as "an experienced entrepreneur with a proven track record of building diverse, high-performance businesses". However:

Lack of accountability: But the façade was cracking as he is entangled in multiple litigations (Scotia Bank, landloard, Air'bnb managers, former business partner) and potentially facing financial ruin in Canada - we don't yet know about his dealings in Ethiopia and Italy

Grandiosity: From his professional bio: "This philosophy translated into great financial success across numerous ventures, from architecture to real estate, to construction, mining and of course, coffee. While enjoying the rewards of his efforts, Luciano ultimately lost his passion for the art of life and his commitment to elevating the social consciousness of his peers and compatriots." Sounds to me like someone who's bloating his "accomplishments"

Control : From his professional bio: "On a lighter note, 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."

Impulsivity: Living a "luxury lifestyle" above his means, possibly compulsive buying

Victim mentality: Why does his professional bio tell us about him being bullied as a kid, losing his father at 17, having lost his passion for the art of life, having gone through some kind of depression in 2019...

Anger/paranoia: According to La Presse, he "accuses his business partner of threatening to help little Melina's mother "to prevent him from entering Quebec due to unpaid taxes by his company"

Posters have mentioned: family annihilator, wound collector, classic narcissist, revenge on the mother. I'm thinking all of the above sound right.

Also: What kind of attachment did Melinda feel towards him? Her parents split when she was 2–3 years old. Then, from 2020 to 2022, the pandemic hit and disrupted international travel, so chances are she didn't get to see him at all during those important developmental years. After that, he would come over for vacations, just a few months a year...

According to Le Devoir, he's pleading not guilty to murder.

(The quotes are from Gambellacoffee dot com)

JMHO

 

[sunflowermomma]

Just MOO I see so many shades of Travis Decker here -- the fact that mom had no concerns, just like TD's ex initially stated, but we as the public can spot glaring red flags in his publicly available business information.

Will Melina's mother share more about how he treated her and Melina now that he is behind bars and she's safe from him? Was she initially saying that she had no concerns at all about him taking Melina on a trip because she was afraid that would anger him and cause him to harm Melina (and she didn't yet know what he already did)?

 

[mickey2942]

It is really interesting how much we do know about LM from his Gambolla Coffee website. Details about his persona.

He could be a Canadian citizen, if his wife is one, citizenship through marriage.

 

[freudianslip]

It is really interesting how much we do know about LM from his Gambolla Coffee website. Details about his persona.

He could be a Canadian citizen, if his wife is one, citizenship through marriage.

Divorce would have put a stop to the long and stressful process, if they were married. IMHO

 

[Reetz]

Unfortunately, I think this is going to boil down to money. This man was obviously living a fake lifestyle that he couldn’t sustain. By “eliminating” this precious child, he no longer had to pay child support (or continue to rack up past due child support if he wasn’t paying it.) I’m thinking that he thought the “white van” story of a kidnapping would garner him sympathy. I’m thinking he is a classic narcissist.

He could have wanted to start a Go F Me account for some funds.
Sympathy dollars.for his missing daughter/search expenses.
That can rack up.

good insight...

 

[Reetz]

so my "good insight..." is irresponsible?

 

[tlcya]

From his "How I met your mother " Instagram post, she is a beautiful woman, as was her little girl. I can't imagine the pain she's going through.

A few things stand out to me (speculation, IMOO):

Unacceptable separation: In February 2019, he went through "an unfortunate event that severely affected his well-being". That same year, he and Melina's mother separated and she got sole custody of their then 2-3 year old daughter

Loss of bearings: Unlike his daughter, he isn't a Canadian citizen. He comes on a visa every year for a few months. He has dual Ethiopian and Italian citizenship.

Self-centeredness: He tried to put his Ethiopian-Italian roots to good use by founding Gambella Coffee (date unknown). However, the company's website is essentially centered around himself (Our story = childhood pictures, About us - Our people = himself as founder)

Façade: In his (bloated, imo) bio, he describes himself as "an experienced entrepreneur with a proven track record of building diverse, high-performance businesses". However:

Lack of accountability: But the façade was cracking as he is entangled in multiple litigations (Scotia Bank, landloard, Air'bnb managers, former business partner) and potentially facing financial ruin in Canada - we don't yet know about his dealings in Ethiopia and Italy

Grandiosity: From his professional bio: "This philosophy translated into great financial success across numerous ventures, from architecture to real estate, to construction, mining and of course, coffee. While enjoying the rewards of his efforts, Luciano ultimately lost his passion for the art of life and his commitment to elevating the social consciousness of his peers and compatriots." Sounds to me like someone who's bloating his "accomplishments"

Control : From his professional bio: "On a lighter note, 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."

Impulsivity: Living a "luxury lifestyle" above his means, possibly compulsive buying

Victim mentality: Why does his professional bio tell us about him being bullied as a kid, losing his father at 17, having lost his passion for the art of life, having gone through some kind of depression in 2019...

Anger/paranoia: According to La Presse, he "accuses his business partner of threatening to help little Melina's mother "to prevent him from entering Quebec due to unpaid taxes by his company"

Posters have mentioned: family annihilator, wound collector, classic narcissist, revenge on the mother. I'm thinking all of the above sound right.

Also: What kind of attachment did Melinda feel towards him? Her parents split when she was 2–3 years old. Then, from 2020 to 2022, the pandemic hit and disrupted international travel, so chances are she didn't get to see him at all during those important developmental years. After that, he would come over for vacations, just a few months a year...

According to Le Devoir, he's pleading not guilty to murder.

(The quotes are from Gambellacoffee dot com)

JMHO

TY for articulating where my thoughts have been on this father (case) , you describe them to a tee, and much better than I could myself.

 

[shetalksinstereo]

He didn't expect to be caught. No idea why he thought NY police wouldn't catch his wonky story.

jmo

I agree, he didn't think he would get caught, especially since it's a corridor adjacent to the Adirondacks.

I am surprised that he did it in New York though, since he would be crossing the border back to Canada without her. Where would he have said she was if they asked? The border control knows she was with him on the trip over. Maybe that's the whole reason he concocted the abduction story, to "explain" that she was "missing"?

 

[mickey2942]

Divorce would have put a stop to the long and stressful process, if they were married. IMHO

No. Because it is obvious that it was a "real" marriage, due to birth of child. So, divorce would not have stopped the citizenship process. Only in cases of a sham marriage, would divorce invalidate the citizenship process.

 

[katikaboom]

I agree, he didn't think he would get caught, especially since it's a corridor adjacent to the Adirondacks.

I am surprised that he did it in New York though, since he would be crossing the border back to Canada without her. Where would he have said she was if they asked? The border control knows she was with him on the trip over. Maybe that's the whole reason he concocted the abduction story, to "explain" that she was "missing"?

That's a huge reason I think this is going to come down to a spur of the moment murder that was "caused" by his financial burdens. If he was going to plan it, he would have killed her in Canada, then created the abduction story. If it was an accident that he tried to conceal, he would look remorseful, or at least upset, in his mugshot. He looks fine in the photo, not like his daughter is dead. Classic spur of the moment family annihilater.