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.
The District Attorney's Office for Essex County confirmed that Luciano Frattolin, 45, entered a plea of not guilty after being arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse following the death of his daughter, Melina Frattolin.
Wearing a grey suit, Frattolin was escorted out of a police SUV and into the courthouse in Ticonderoga, N.Y. with his hands handcuffed in front of him.
He was remanded into custody without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 19.
The accused was scheduled to appear in court last Friday but the appearance was cancelled after the court said the case was being moved to a grand jury.
Melina was found dead on July 20 in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga after her father reported her missing. Police alleged he fabricated the abduction story to mislead investigators.
A preliminary autopsy ruled that Melina died of asphyxia due to drowning and ruled her death a homicide. The two entered the U.S. on July 11 for a vacation and were supposed to return the day the child's body was found.
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