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*

[EspressoBean]

There was, but I believe she only realized the significance of what she had seen and came forward after Melina was found.

As others have referenced, it seems that she contacted police after she received the Amber Alert and before she was found. I think this information she shared seems to have significance to them finding MF's location.

 

[teeby]

There's no huge variance here. NYSP was fairly confident about the TOD even before the autopsy. In the Felony Complaint dated 7/20, they estimated Melina was killed between the time 7:40 pm and 9:12 pm.
<Snip>

Melina Frattolin autopsy revealed by New York Police

Melina's father, Luciano Frattolin, was arrested Monday and faces charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse.

www.newsweek.com

7:40-9:12 is such an oddly specific window. It makes me wonder if they determined TOD from some kind of digital data. Maybe that's the time the father's phone stayed at the pond or something?

 

[Seattle1]

Father charged with murder in case of missing 9-year-old found dead in Ticonderoga

State police say they noted inconsistencies in Luciano's account of events and the timeline he provided.

katv.com

"On Sunday, July 20th, a search detail comprised of officers from multiple agencies conducted an organized search in the town of Ticonderoga, New York. In an area Mr. Frattolin was suspected of having visited," said Captain McConnell.

During that search detail, members of the New York State Forest Rangers discovered Melina's body under a log in a shallow pond in a wooded area off State Route 74 in Ticonderoga.

State Police would not say exactly what led them to identify the father as a suspect or what brought them to Ticonderoga, only saying it was technology available to law enforcement that helped guide their investigation.
[..]
According to court documents, Frattolin is accused of killing his daughter in a wooded area [off State Route 74] in Ticonderoga sometime between 7:40 p.m., and 9:12 p.m. Saturday, July 19th.

 

[Inthedetails]

"Luciano Frattolin, the father accused of murdering his 9-year-old daughter in upstate New York, pinned the little girl’s body under a rock and a fallen tree, a newly released indictment has revealed....

He appeared in court in Essex County on Wednesday morning in a gray suit and shirt without a tie, where he was held without bail."

Grim new allegations detail how Melina Frattolin’s dad hid her body after drowning her

Frattolin concealed his daughter’s body “by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse,” the indictment reads.

nypost.com

 

[Curious Me]

"Luciano Frattolin, the father accused of murdering his 9-year-old daughter in upstate New York, pinned the little girl’s body under a rock and a fallen tree, a newly released indictment has revealed....

He appeared in court in Essex County on Wednesday morning in a gray suit and shirt without a tie, where he was held without bail."

Grim new allegations detail how Melina Frattolin’s dad hid her body after drowning her

Frattolin concealed his daughter’s body “by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse,” the indictment reads.

nypost.com

Thanks. Gorgeous location where she was found, but it's so heartbreaking. Her mother must regret so much letting him take the girl on a trip. I'm struggling to accept that this father intentionally killed his precious daughter that he had just taken on a supposedly fun vacation. Sounds as though they are pretty sure he did. Did it right at the very end of the special vacation. How could he?!! Wonder what approach his defense will take, considering the evidence they have, and his obvious attempts to fool LE into thinking she was abducted. MOO

​

Grim new allegations detail how Melina Frattolin’s dad hid her body after drowning her

Frattolin concealed his daughter’s body “by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse,” the indictment reads.

nypost.com

Frattolin concealed his daughter’s body “by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse,” the indictment reads.

 

[Sunshine99]

He either had spare clothes or took his off to stash the body without appearing wet to police. He should have pond mud, algae, somewhere on his body , under toenails.

 

[Seattle1]

7/30/25

Luciano Frattolin denied bail in daughter's murder case, returning to court in August​

Next hearing 8/19/25 at 3pm

 

[Curious Me]

He wanted to bail out and stay in an apt. in NYC with a friend. Oh sure, all MOO, like he deserves to be trusted after apparently killing his own flesh and blood daughter, dumping her body in a pond, and trying to claim she was kidnapped. There would be no guessing what he might attempt next. Whew, no bail.
​

He either had spare clothes or took his off to stash the body without appearing wet to police. He should have pond mud, algae, somewhere on his body , under toenails.​

True, there must be evidence like that. What I'm wondering, and I hate thinking about it, is if he drug Melina first or did he take her by surprise and she struggled? He might've tried to dry off, but doubt he was meticulous. There was a estimate of the time of death and it could've given him 1-2 hrs. to clean up before he reported it as a kidnapping. However, his car, even maybe the tires, might supply more evidence. Do you think they could get any kind of DNA, maybe touch DNA, off her remains or the rock he placed on her body? ​

 

[jesse]

He wanted to bail out and stay in an apt. in NYC with a friend. Oh sure, all MOO, like he deserves to be trusted after apparently killing his own flesh and blood daughter, dumping her body in a pond, and trying to claim she was kidnapped. There would be no guessing what he might attempt next. Whew, no bail.



True, there must be evidence like that. What I'm wondering, and I hate thinking about it, is if he drug Melina first or did he take her by surprise and she struggled? He might've tried to dry off, but doubt he was meticulous. There was a estimate of the time of death and it could've given him 1-2 hrs. to clean up before he reported it as a kidnapping. Also his car and the tires might supply more evidence. Do you think they could get any kind of DNA, maybe touch DNA, off her remains or the rock he placed on her body? ​

You would expect a father's DNA to be on his daughter. As far as the rock, I don't know, but I kind of expect it would be very unlikely, given that it's probably wet and muddy .

 

[Inthedetails]

He wanted to bail out and stay in an apt. in NYC with a friend. ​

snipped

Kinda interesting he has a friend in the city who would take him in. I don't draw any conclusions at all, but am a bit surprised.

I wonder if the father and daughter stayed with the friend on their vacation?

jmopinion

 

[Curious Me]

...As far as the rock, I don't know, but I kind of expect it would be very unlikely, given that it's probably wet and muddy .

I'm definitely not that knowledgeable on the subject. You might be right, or you might end up surprised. Some conditions are more favorable for the persistence of Touch DNA. A rock usually has a rougher surface and handling it would most likely leave some skin cells. In the first 24 hrs. it's possible water is not always going to destroy DNA. It depends on the substrate and the type of water. Metal seems to retain cells more than other substrates. A rough type rock might hold some DNA in it's craggy surface. It would be astounding evidence if his DNA was on that rock. Hard to wiggle out of that evidence.

The Impact of Water Exposure on Touch DNA Persistence

Enhancing DNA Analysis: The Impact of Water Exposure on Touch DNA Persistence Introduction Criminals often dispose of incriminating evidence, including biological materials, in bodies of water to avoid detection. Water can significantly affect the preservation of touch DNA, which is left behind...

simplyforensic.com

To assess the longevity of touch DNA cells after water exposure, researchers conducted experiments using different substrates and water types.​

 

[Seattle1]

Man accused of killing 9-year-old daughter enters plea after being indicted by grand jury

Wednesday's appearance marks the second time Frattolin appeared in court after he entered his initial plea in front of a judge in Ticonderoga.

www.mynbc5.com

7/30/25

ESSEX COUNTY, N.Y. —
The man accused of drowning his 9-year-old daughter in Ticonderoga last week was back in court on Wednesday morning, after he was indicted by a grand jury.

[..]

The district attorney and Frattolin's lawyer chose not to comment following the proceedings. But in court, NBC5 learned that Frattolin holds Italian and Ethiopian passports, and has businesses in Ethiopia and Canada. He also had a bid on a $5 million home in Canada and had recently attempted to sell a mining company. Frattolin has residences in both Ethiopia and Canada.

[..]

Court documents allege Frattolin drowned Melina in Ticonderoga on July 19th, and attempted to hide her body in water near a fallen tree and placed a rock on top of her.

Frattolin is due back in court on Aug. 19 for a compliance conference.

Pretrial hearings will take place in November, with a jury trial scheduled to begin on Jan. 5.

 

[Seattle1]

Montreal father accused of murdering daughter, 9, in New York State denied bail

The Montreal man accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter in upstate New York earlier this month has been denied bail.

www.ctvnews.ca

7/30/25

Police alleged he fabricated the abduction story to mislead investigators.

Frattlolin allegedly concealed his daughter’s body by placing it in a wooded area in water near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse “with the intent to prevent its production, use or discovery,” according to the indictment.

The court documents alleged he killed his daughter sometime on July 19 between 7:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. near Route 74 in Ticonderoga.

A preliminary autopsy ruled that Melina died of asphyxia due to drowning and ruled her death a homicide.

The two had entered the U.S. on July 11 for a vacation and were supposed to return the day the child’s body was found.

In New York State, murder in the second degree carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Concealing a human body, a class E felony, carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison and $5,000 fine.

The prosecution argued that Frattolin, who holds Italian and Ethiopian passports, was a flight risk, also referencing his considerable assets.

The defence argued that he has never had a warrant and had planned to stay in New York City with a friend, claiming that he had no reason to flee and was willing to give up his Italian passport.

The judge said the trial could begin in January 2026.

 

[Seattle1]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1950606808135205156

 

[Seattle1]

WATCH: Luciano Frattolin appears in Essex County Court, bail denied

The Essex County DA confirmsLuciano Frattolin will be appearing in Essex County Courthouse Wednesday July 30th at 10 AM.He is facing murder charges out of the

cbs6albany.com

7/30/25

According to court documents, Frattolin is accused of killing his daughter and hiding her body in a Ticonderoga pond.

That on or about 19th day of July, 2025, between 7:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. in an area off of NYS Route 74 in the Town of Ticonderoga, Essex County, New York, the defendant, Luciano Frattolin, did, when having a reasonable expectation that a human corpse or a part thereof will be produced for or used as physical evidence in: (a) an official proceeding; (b) an autopsy as part of a criminal investigation; or (c) an examination by law enforcement personnel as part of a criminal investigation; such person, alone or in concert with another, conceals, alters or destroys such corpse or part thereof with the intent to prevent its production, use or discovery; To Wit: on the aforesaid date, time, and place, the defendant, Luciano Frattolin, did, when having a reasonable expectation that the human corpse of Melina Frattolin would be produced for or used as physical evidence in an examination by law enforcement personnel as part of a criminal investigation, did conceal her human corpse by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse with the intent to prevent its production, use or discovery.

 

[Spectrix]

I'm just struggling to get my head around this case. He's got the cutest little girl who clearly loves spending vacation time with him, and she lives pretty much full time with her mum so he doesn't have the usual day to day parental responsibilities to worry about.

I don't have children by choice, but I have God children and friends kids who I'm super close with. It's a special position to be in when one is seen as a novelty, and for the time that I do spend with these kids, I put lots of effort in.
I just can't imagine in a million years wanting to hurt any of them.

If he's in fact guilty, what did he possibly have to gain by killing this child?

 

[AngTxGal]

I'm just struggling to get my head around this case. He's got the cutest little girl who clearly loves spending vacation time with him, and she lives pretty much full time with her mum so he doesn't have the usual day to day parental responsibilities to worry about.

I don't have children by choice, but I have God children and friends kids who I'm super close with. It's a special position to be in when one is seen as a novelty, and for the time that I do spend with these kids, I put lots of effort in.
I just can't imagine in a million years wanting to hurt any of them.

If he's in fact guilty, what did he possibly have to gain by killing this child?

I hope NY throws the book at this guy, he needs to be in a cage.

So he can choose, will he access his funds to pay for a good attorney?
Or will he lie and say he is broke- and get a public defender?

My guess is his ex wife needs to sue him for wrongful death- so she gets everything!!
How can you replace a child- and recover from their brutal murder!?

IMO

 

[Curious Me]

snipped to reply ...If he's in fact guilty, what did he possibly have to gain by killing this child?

Great post, @Spectrix. That is what I really want to know. I can't see a benefit angle to what he did. Melina didn't live with him, and it sounds like he wasn't weighted down by her existence. He had lots of freedom to travel. He did have financial problems, and you have to wonder if there was some kind of monetary gain by killing a child he was said to have loved. I doubt he got a big insurance policy out on a child which would be suspicious.

He was returning Melina to her mother. Even if Melina's mother was bugging him about child support which I don't know what the situation was there, she still allowed him to take her young daughter on an out-of-the-country trip, so their relationship was still amicable, and there was some trust built up. Why, why, why? She was such a beautiful child and seemed to adore her father.

I wonder if he did something on the fun trip that he didn't want Melina telling anyone about? Just a speculation, and it could be anything, not specifically done to her. Something he wanted kept quiet at all costs. Then again, so many of these cases are for senseless reasons.

All MOO ​

 

[Onlyguessing23]

Great post, @Spectrix. That is what I really want to know. I can't see a benefit angle to what he did. Melina didn't live with him, and it sounds like he wasn't weighted down by her existence. He had lots of freedom to travel. He did have financial problems, and you have to wonder if there was some kind of monetary gain by killing a child he was said to have loved. I doubt he got a big insurance policy out on a child which would be suspicious.

He was returning Melina to her mother. Even if Melina's mother was bugging him about child support which I don't know what the situation was there, she still allowed him to take her young daughter on an out-of-the-country trip, so their relationship was still amicable, and there was some trust built up. Why, why, why? She was such a beautiful child and seemed to adore her father.

I wonder if he did something on the fun trip that he didn't want Melina telling anyone about? Just a speculation, and it could be anything, not specifically done to her. Something he wanted kept quiet at all costs. Then again, so many of these cases are for senseless reasons.

All MOO ​

You just put my thoughts into words… did she discover a secret?

All MOO

 

[jillolantern]

Is there any reason to think she was adopted?

No.