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*

[Tealgrove]

Just my own gut level opinion. He's being charged with murdering someone plus he's from another country. Not even a US citizen, and perhaps more ease and
connections to flee to another country. Common sense fact is he has plenty of pressing issues making him desperate to want to flee if out on bail, so... MOO, no bail should be granted. I think I'd blow a gasket if they allow it.​

He’s a flight risk. I can’t imagine they would even consider bail.

MOO

 

[Dreamcherry]

Is it possible that he didn't know how different the US is?

It's entirely possible he's not familiar with either, tbh. The more info I read, the more it looks like he doesn't spend much time in Canada at all. If I've understood correctly, he lives in Ethiopia and visited his daughter in Montreal once a year?

 

[abyquinn]

This now seems like it was a plan that he thought of before taking his daughter on a lovely one-on-one vacation, including that last meal and call to her mother. What do you all think? Was that his plan?

I can't imagine how a father could do that to the one person who may have adored him. That the mother trusted him enough and didn't have any qualms about him taking the girl on such a vacation surprises me. Nothing is worth doing what he did to escape debt or for revenge. How could someone even do that to that precious little girl?

The guy seemed like he could've been a real jerk, MOO. He should've attempted budgeting instead of all the spending and the scheming he was doing. Murdered his daughter who trusted and adored him! Plus, is he totally dumb to not consider all legal drawbacks to his plan if he's caught? If this was a plan it's such an unforgivable act. ​

Thank you for this, Curious Me. This sort of offense makes me crazy! How anyone can plan and carry out the murder of their child! This isn’t someone who lost their temper at their toddler (which is horrible enough)! Just using the possible reasons I’ve been reading; money problems, anger at mom, dislike being a parent. How does murdering your child solve any of these problems? How does even thinking about murdering your child make one think it will make things better? For goodness sake! No one is forced to be a parent! You can legally remove yourself from your child’s life! It isn’t even expensive! A few bucks for filing the paperwork! I’m pretty damn sure any parent who is told by the other they want out & they’ve been contemplating murder as their way out, will gladly spot them the filing fee!

How does murdering your child improve your financial situation? Seriously! Hiring an attorney to keep you from a death sentence is very expensive! So is spending 25 years in prison. Your job is certainly not going to be waiting for you! Most convicts have a very difficult time finding employment when they are released. Your skills are probably going to be outdated in 25 years and most prison jobs/training won’t pay well. Many fields are not going to be available to a felon. So no, money problems/child support - murder isn’t going to help your situation. Again, walking away, signing away parental rights is the most economical choice.

Anger at the other parent, for whatever reason. How will murdering your child get even with that person? If someone is of the mindset that they believe taking the child’s life will somehow even the score, these people usually show their true colors before they get to the point of Chris Watts, or now LF if this is the case. Do these ppl really think they are going to get away with murder? Do they think so highly of themselves that they think they can fool seasoned investigators? Especially when a child is concerned!? They must be delusional. Sorry for the rant, these crimes are offensive to me and I’ll never understand how they do it.

 

[mickey2942]

I am guessing, that it was a combination of things. Frustration with his business, probably not having a great time with his daughter. And she talks to Mom, we don't know what was said, but if she said anything negative about him or the trip, it probably made him angry. Maybe he had some anger issues with the Mom.

Something triggered it. I don't see it as premeditated, because he would have already had a plan, like she drowned accidentally. He did it, in a rage, and then made up a stupid story to explain it away.

 

[nao]

Moo. He took his daughter to dinner, she talked to her mom. I think there was a trigger.. something said. ..moo

 

[SadieSeeks]

All JMO - For a moment I contemplated if his original intention was a murder suicide outcome, given his financial debt, and possible issues with his ex-wife, and then something made him change his mind about going through with the suicide part, like he got scared and panicked and quickly tried to cover it up as an abduction?
But, that wouldn’t make sense given the cause of death and the location.

 

[lesleyNOPE]

Diddy was being held / tried by the Feds, not NYS. There are currently people out on $250k bail for a Murder 2 charge in NY but they have to surrender their passport. This guy not being a citizen and technically having the means to flee will likely keep him remanded or be given an astronomical bail.

 

[Seattle1]

Moo. He took his daughter to dinner, she talked to her mom. I think there was a trigger.. something said. ..moo

I agree. They were nearing the end of their journey, and she would be home with Mom soon. I think he wanted her to say something to her mother, or to remain silent about something. He had no control over her, and he lost control. MOO

 

[katydid23]

Moo. He took his daughter to dinner, she talked to her mom. I think there was a trigger.. something said. ..moo

I know that kids often miss their mom, even when having a fun vacation with grandparents or divorced Dad.

Maybe she got homesick and whined and said 'can we go home NOW, I miss my mom.' After all the trouble and expense I went to....? And you want to go back right NOW?

 

[Dotta]

I know that kids often miss their mom, even when having a fun vacation with grandparents or divorced Dad.

Maybe she got homesick and whined and said 'can we go home NOW, I miss my mom.' After all the trouble and expense I went to....? And you want to go back right NOW?

But they were ALREADY heading home, to Mum.

 

[AngTxGal]

I don't know, based on the link, 1st degree would be charged if the murder involved "torture'.

MOO, if you are held underwater, until dead, that seems to be "torture' to me. With holding air from a child. After all, they consider "water boarding" torture, which is simulated drowning.

Yes, I think so too. Drowning a person would count as torture in my book. And I supposed they could find other things about him that we don’t know yet.

It looks like life in prison can be a sentence for 2nd degree as well.
As NYS doesn’t have the death penalty- he could get life with our parole for either 1st or 2nd- and that is as much as he could get.

Maybe there are nuances I’m missing?

IMO

 

[AngTxGal]

Thank you for this, Curious Me. This sort of offense makes me crazy! How anyone can plan and carry out the murder of their child! This isn’t someone who lost their temper at their toddler (which is horrible enough)! Just using the possible reasons I’ve been reading; money problems, anger at mom, dislike being a parent. How does murdering your child solve any of these problems? How does even thinking about murdering your child make one think it will make things better? For goodness sake! No one is forced to be a parent! You can legally remove yourself from your child’s life! It isn’t even expensive! A few bucks for filing the paperwork! I’m pretty damn sure any parent who is told by the other they want out & they’ve been contemplating murder as their way out, will gladly spot them the filing fee!

How does murdering your child improve your financial situation? Seriously! Hiring an attorney to keep you from a death sentence is very expensive! So is spending 25 years in prison. Your job is certainly not going to be waiting for you! Most convicts have a very difficult time finding employment when they are released. Your skills are probably going to be outdated in 25 years and most prison jobs/training won’t pay well. Many fields are not going to be available to a felon. So no, money problems/child support - murder isn’t going to help your situation. Again, walking away, signing away parental rights is the most economical choice.

Anger at the other parent, for whatever reason. How will murdering your child get even with that person? If someone is of the mindset that they believe taking the child’s life will somehow even the score, these people usually show their true colors before they get to the point of Chris Watts, or now LF if this is the case. Do these ppl really think they are going to get away with murder? Do they think so highly of themselves that they think they can fool seasoned investigators? Especially when a child is concerned!? They must be delusional. Sorry for the rant, these crimes are offensive to me and I’ll never understand how they do it.

I’m with you on the anger, another entitled young man that doesn’t get his way, lives beyond his means, thinks he is All That, and hurts others that get in his way.
A dime a dozen
And he can not even muster the manhood to do right by his child. Instead he chooses to hurt he in a brutal way- what a betrayal of parental trust. What a piece of work!

A defense attorney has an uphill battle her- just to be in his presence.
IMO

 

[Inthedetails]

I’m with you on the anger, another entitled young man that doesn’t get his way, lives beyond his means, thinks he is All That, and hurts others that get in his way.
A dime a dozen
And he can not even muster the manhood to do right by his child. Instead he chooses to hurt he in a brutal way- what a betrayal of parental trust. What a piece of work!

A defense attorney has an uphill battle her- just to be in his presence.
IMO

Unless there comes some wild twist we don't know about yet, I can't see how this guy has a defense.

I suppose they could hope LE makes a procedural mistake and the case gets thrown out, but that is not going to happen, imo.

jmopinion

 

[mickey2942]

Unless there comes some wild twist we don't know about yet, I can't see how this guy has a defense.

I suppose they could hope LE makes a procedural mistake and the case gets thrown out, but that is not going to happen, imo.

jmopinion

I am waiting for the "defense" that his daughter drowned, he was afraid of being accused of murder, so he called LEO and reported fake abduction. Because he doesn't understand this culture and was fearful of LEO.

 

[SMK777]

I am waiting for the "defense" that his daughter drowned, he was afraid of being accused of murder, so he called LEO and reported fake abduction. Because he doesn't understand this culture and was fearful of LEO.

Did the autopsy reveal anything to prove that the drowning was NOT accidental?

 

[Serononin]

Did the autopsy reveal anything to prove that the drowning was NOT accidental?

They haven't released the details to the public AFAIK, but they were confident in calling her death a homicide

 

[SMK777]

They haven't released the details to the public AFAIK, but they were confident in calling her death a homicide

They were, yes. So that's an important legal statement against any defense theory that he panicked after an accidental drowning incident.

 

[Seattle1]

They were, yes. So that's an important legal statement against any defense theory that he panicked after an accidental drowning incident.

The timeline below illustrates how certain authorities were that Melina's death was no accident:

7/19/25 -- at about 9:58 PM, Warren County 911 received a call from a man reporting his 9-year-old daughter missing, with a possible abduction, in the area of Exit 22 of I-87 in Lake George, New York. The child was identified as Melina Frattolin, age 9, and the caller as her father, Luciano Frattolin, age 45, both residents of Canada.

7/20/25 --a search detail comprised of officers from multiple agencies conducted an organized search in the town of Ticonderoga, New York, in an area Frattolin was suspected of having visited. During that search detail at approximately 1:50 p.m., members of the New York State Forest Rangers located Melina deceased in the shallow water of a pond.

7/20/25 --Felony Complaint drafted at about 6:30 pm, charging Luciano Frattolin with:

Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-1 Felony, section 125.25, subsection I , of the Penal
Law of the State of New York;

Concealment of a human corpse, a class E Felony, section 195.02, of the Penal Law of the
State of New York.

Melina’s cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy which is scheduled for July 21, 2025.

***UPDATE***State Police Investigate Death of Missing Child

troopers.ny.gov

The Felony Complaint/arrest of LF occurred before Melina's autopsy was complete. IMO, it was likely that Melina's body had visual signs of manual strangulation, such as bruising around her neck, perhaps defensive wounds too, such as broken fingernails. Maybe LF had corresponding scratches on his body.

On 7/22/25 at 3 pm, the preliminary cause and manner of death were announced by Dr. Michael Sikirica, who conducted Melina's autopsy: Asphyxia due to drowning; Homicide.

 

[lesleyNOPE]

Yes, I think so too. Drowning a person would count as torture in my book. And I supposed they could find other things about him that we don’t know yet.

It looks like life in prison can be a sentence for 2nd degree as well.
As NYS doesn’t have the death penalty- he could get life with our parole for either 1st or 2nd- and that is as much as he could get.

Maybe there are nuances I’m missing?

IMO

One of the defendents in the Junior Guzman Feliz case was convicted of Murder 1 due to the torture element, however earlier this year his charge was knocked down to Murder 2 because the appellate court said it didn’t qualify for torture (getting chased down and stabbed with machetes). He had his life without parole sentence changed to 25-life. In other news… he was found deceased in his cell a month later.

 

[Inthedetails]

The timeline below illustrates how certain authorities were that Melina's death was no accident:

7/19/25 -- at about 9:58 PM, Warren County 911 received a call from a man reporting his 9-year-old daughter missing, with a possible abduction, in the area of Exit 22 of I-87 in Lake George, New York. The child was identified as Melina Frattolin, age 9, and the caller as her father, Luciano Frattolin, age 45, both residents of Canada.

7/20/25 --a search detail comprised of officers from multiple agencies conducted an organized search in the town of Ticonderoga, New York, in an area Frattolin was suspected of having visited. During that search detail at approximately 1:50 p.m., members of the New York State Forest Rangers located Melina deceased in the shallow water of a pond.

7/20/25 --Felony Complaint drafted at about 6:30 pm, charging Luciano Frattolin with:

Murder in the Second Degree, a class A-1 Felony, section 125.25, subsection I , of the Penal
Law of the State of New York;

Concealment of a human corpse, a class E Felony, section 195.02, of the Penal Law of the
State of New York.

Melina’s cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy which is scheduled for July 21, 2025.

***UPDATE***State Police Investigate Death of Missing Child

troopers.ny.gov

The Felony Complaint/arrest of LF occurred before Melina's autopsy was complete. IMO, it was likely that Melina's body had visual signs of manual strangulation, such as bruising around her neck, perhaps defensive wounds too, such as broken fingernails. Maybe LF had corresponding scratches on his body.

On 7/22/25 at 3 pm, the preliminary cause and manner of death were announced by Dr. Michael Sikirica, who conducted Melina's autopsy: Asphyxia due to drowning; Homicide.

Wow. It took LE less than five hours after finding her to charge him with murder. There was obviously outward, visible signs it was not an accidental drowning. I'm assuming being under a log was a huge clue, but there was probably more.

jmopinion