The body of nine-year-old Melina Galanis Frattolin was found in a remote pond in Ticonderoga, New York, on Sunday morning, July 20, 2025. This discovery concluded what was initially considered an abduction case. Her father, Luciano Frattolin, 45, now faces charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
On Saturday, July 19, 2025, at approximately 9:58 p.m., Frattolin contacted 911, claiming his daughter had been abducted near Exit 22 on Interstate 87 in Lake George, New York. He reported that two men had forced Melina into a white van while he was in the woods. This account prompted an Amber Alert and a widespread search operation.
State Police investigators quickly identified inconsistencies in Frattolin’s story. Captain Robert McConnell, who leads the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, addressed the press on Monday, stating that Frattolin “fabricated the initial report of the abduction.”
On Sunday, around 10:50 a.m., state forest rangers discovered Melina’s body in the shallow end of a pond in Ticonderoga. The criminal complaint states that Frattolin concealed her body under a log in a remote area about 30 miles north of the reported abduction site.
Frattolin, a Canadian businessman who had Ethiopian‑Italian dual citizenship with a Canadian visa, was vacationing in the United States with his daughter since July 11. They visited locations in Connecticut and New York, including New York City, and planned to return to Montreal on Sunday, July 20.
Surveillance footage from a restaurant captured the father and daughter in Saratoga Springs, New York, around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Melina spoke with her mother by phone approximately an hour later, and she seemed fine. Investigators suspect Frattolin killed his daughter sometime between that call and his 911 report later that evening.
Frattolin was arrested and detained early Monday morning at the Essex County jail. During his Monday morning arraignment in Ticonderoga Town Court, a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. He only spoke to correct a Montreal address listed for him.
Despite maintaining a social media presence showing international travel and luxury cars, Frattolin informed the court he could not afford an attorney. Jared Cadena from the county’s public defender’s office represented him, while Essex County District Attorney Michael P. Langey prosecuted the case.
The defendant appeared in court in a disposable Tyvek suit and boots, as police had seized his clothing for evidence. Judge Richard Carpenter oversaw the arraignment, after which Frattolin was returned to jail on murder and concealment charges.
Authorities disclosed that Melina’s mother held full custody of the child. The parents separated in 2019, but the custody arrangement permitted the father’s vacation with his daughter. Specific details of their custody agreement and its relation to the trip have not been disclosed.
State Police stated that the investigation into a possible motive for the killing is ongoing. Further details about the circumstances surrounding the child’s death or the evidence that disproved Frattolin’s abduction report have not been released.
The case shifted from a missing child investigation with an Amber Alert to a homicide case within about 13 hours. The initial abduction report had mobilized extensive law enforcement resources in search of the white van and alleged kidnappers described by Frattolin.
During a news conference on Monday at State Police Troop G Headquarters in Latham, New York, McConnell provided updates on the arrest and charges. The investigation initially involved multiple law enforcement agencies before focusing on discrepancies in the father’s statements.
Frattolin, who lived in Montreal and was originally from Ethiopia, described Melina affectionately on his company profile for Gabella Coffee, his Montreal-based coffee business, referring to her as beautiful and the light of his life.
Court documents indicate the suspect operated several businesses, including two cafes and an Airbnb rental, which he claimed helped him manage child support payments for his daughter.
Police stated in a Monday press conference that Frattolin and his former wife separated in 2019. In addition to challenges with his ex, he faced over $200,000 in debt related to business ventures in Montreal.
A staff member at Dépanneur Café—the coffee shop formerly owned by Frattolin and for which he still owes the Bank of Nova Scotia around $83,000—said that the accused murderer had been dividing his time between Italy and Canada over the last year and a half.
According to the bank, Frattolin is also responsible for $97,000 in outstanding credit card debt tied to Café Gambella, another coffee shop that shares the same name as his online coffee business.
An autopsy confirmed asphyxia due to drowning, and the death was ruled a homicide. A preliminary report is pending lab testing.