Latest news with #MelinaGalanisFrattolin
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dad pleads not guilty after being accused of killing daughter, lying about kidnapping
A father accused of killing his 9-year-old daughter in upstate New York and then falsely claiming she was kidnapped pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. Luciano Frattolin, of Montreal, was arraigned in Essex County on an indictment charging him with second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse. A judge ordered him held without bail. His next court appearance has been scheduled for Aug. 19, with a jury trial set to begin in January 2026. Frattolin is accused of killing his daughter, Melina Galanis Frattolin, during a vacation to the U.S., concealing her body and fabricating a story that she was abducted. Melina was found dead in a shallow pond in a remote area near Ticonderoga on July 20, a day after he reported that she was abducted when he pulled over to go into the woods to go to the bathroom, police said. Melina died by homicide and from "asphyxia due to drowning," according to preliminary autopsy results, New York State Police said. MORE: Father charged with murdering 9-year-old daughter he falsely claimed was kidnapped: Police Investigators believe she was killed on July 19, just hours after she called her mother to say that she and her father were on their way back to Montreal, police said. The indictment alleges Frattolin drowned his daughter then concealed her body "by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse." ABC News has reached out to his public defender for comment but has not yet received a response. Melina lived with her mother full time in Montreal and was on a 10-day vacation to New York City and Connecticut with her father at the time, according to Capt. Robert McConnell of the New York State Police. According to McConnell, Frattolin and his daughter's mother have been estranged since 2019. He said the mother knew Frattolin had taken Melina on a vacation and told police she had no prior concerns about them traveling to the U.S. together. Frattolin's kidnapping report led the New York State Police to issue an Amber Alert early on July 20. A massive search was launched before her body was discovered later that day by New York State Police Forest Rangers, authorities said. "He fabricated the initial report of the abduction," McConnell alleged during a July 20 news conference. Police began to focus on the father as a suspect after finding inconsistencies in his account of events and the timeline he provided, McConnell said.
Fox News
23-07-2025
- Fox News
9-year-old Canadian girl whose father was charged with her murder was drowned, authorities say
A preliminary autopsy revealed that 9-year-old Canadian girl Melina Galanis Frattolin was drowned, and her death has been ruled a homicide, New York State Police said Michael Sikirica performed the autopsy at Glens Falls Hospital on July 21. While final lab results are pending, the cause of death was listed as asphyxia due to drowning, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide, police said in a release. Melina's father, 45-year-old Luciano Frattolin, is facing charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse after allegedly fabricating a kidnapping story. CANADIAN GIRL, 9, FOUND DEAD IN NEW YORK AFTER FATHER CLAIMED SHE WAS KIDNAPPED Frattolin remains in custody at Essex County Correctional Facility after his arraignment Monday in Ticonderoga Town Court. According to investigators, Melina and her father crossed into the U.S. from Canada on July 11 for what was supposed to be a vacation. Surveillance showed the pair in Saratoga Springs around 5:30 p.m. on July 19, and Melina spoke to her mother by phone an hour later. But by 9:58 p.m., Frattolin called 911 from Lake George claiming his daughter had been abducted. Less than 16 hours later, Melina's body was discovered in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga, around 30 miles MYSTERIOUS KILLING ROCKS QUIET SUMMER VACATION AREA Authorities said no evidence supported Frattolin's claims of an abduction involving a suspicious van. Law enforcement agencies from New York, Canada, and the FBI assisted in the York state police are urging the public to submit tips, video, or dashcam footage showing the 2024 gray Toyota Prius the father and daughter traveled in between July 11 and July 19, particularly along I-87 Northway exits 28 to 20 during the evening of July 19.
New York Times
22-07-2025
- New York Times
Daughter of Man Charged in Her Killing Was Drowned, Authorities Say
A 9-year-old Canadian girl whose father has been charged with murdering her in upstate New York was drowned, the authorities said on Tuesday. ` The girl, Melina Galanis Frattolin, of Montreal, died from asphyxia due to drowning, according to Dr. Michael Sikirica, a forensic pathologist who conducted an autopsy on her on Monday and ruled the death a homicide. The New York State Police said on Tuesday that its investigation was continuing and asked for the public's help retracing the movements of Melina and her father, Luciano Frattolin. Mr. Frattolin, 45, of Montreal, who the authorities said falsely reported that Melina had been abducted at Lake George, was charged on Monday with second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment, which was also on Monday, and was being held at Essex County Jail. His next court appearance is Friday. Forest rangers found Melina's body in a shallow portion of a pond in Ticonderoga, about 100 miles north of Albany, the authorities said. Her father hid his child's body under a log, court documents further detailed. Investigators were still trying to narrow down the time frame of when Melina was killed, saying on Monday that it was between 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, when her father reported her missing. The two of them had been finishing up a vacation in New York and Connecticut — having entered the United States legally on July 11 — when Mr. Frattolin called 9-1-1 to report that someone in a white van had kidnapped his daughter while he went to relieve himself, the authorities said. Based on his account, law enforcement officers issued an Amber Alert for Melina, who earlier on Saturday evening told her mother by telephone that she was on her way back to Canada. Melina, who lived full time with her mother in Montreal, appeared to be in good health and did not indicate she was under any duress at the time of the call, according to the police, who described her parents as being estranged. But when Mr. Frattolin provided investigators with a timeline of events, they detected several inconsistencies, the authorities said on Monday. They did not elaborate on the nature. At his arraignment in the Town of Ticonderoga Court, Mr. Frattolin was represented by a public defender. A person who answered the phone on Tuesday at the Essex County Public Defender's Office said it had no comment about the case. On Tuesday, the New York State Police asked for videos or accounts from anyone who might have seen Melina and her father on Saturday night between Exits 20 and 28 on Interstate 87, the section of highway near Lake George and Ticonderoga. The agency shared photos of a 2024 gray Toyota Prius that the two had been riding in. The local community in Ticonderoga planned to hold a candlelight vigil for Melina in a park on Tuesday at 8 p.m., according to a local television station.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Yahoo
Canadian father murdered daughter, 9, on New York trip before kidnapping claim near Lake George: police
A Canadian man has been charged with murdering his 9-year-old daughter after she was found dead in a wooded area of upstate New York, state police said. Luciano Frattolin, 45, was arrested early Monday and charged with murder in the second degree and concealment of a human corpse, New York State Police (NYSP) Trooper Robert McConnell said Monday in a news conference. Authorities said "inconsistencies" in Frattolin's account of his daughter Melina Galanis Frattolin's disappearance triggered an investigation. He is being held in the Essex County Jail pending arraignment in Ticonderoga Town Court, NYSP said. Melina was reported missing Saturday night while the pair were visiting Lake George, New York, from Canada. Canadian Girl, 9, Found Dead In New York After Father Claimed She As Kidnapped Authorities allege that the 45-year-old father murdered Melina and left her body in a remote area where she was later discovered by law enforcement. Read On The Fox News App Frattolin initially claimed that Melina had been abducted, prompting law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert shortly after midnight on Sunday. The father, McConnell said, initially told authorities that a "suspicious white van" was in the area at the time of his daughter. McConnell said Monday that the white van claims were "proven to be untrue." By Sunday morning, the Amber Alert was canceled, and NYSP investigators said they had identified "inconsistencies" in Frattolin's statements and timeline. State Police launched a multi-agency search for the 9-year-old that included aviation, K9 units, forest rangers and uniformed patrols, the department said. Melina's body was discovered on Sunday, July 20, in a wooded area near State Route 74 in Ticonderoga, the agency confirmed. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Suspected Serial Killer May Have Abducted News Anchor Who Vanished 30 Years Ago: Doc In their release, NYSP said the Essex County District Attorney's Office is involved in the case, and additional updates will be provided pending the autopsy and further investigation. Melina's cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, which is scheduled for later Monday. Fox News' Tamara Gitt contributed to this article source: Canadian father murdered daughter, 9, on New York trip before kidnapping claim near Lake George: police
Fox News
21-07-2025
- Fox News
Canadian father arrested in New York after missing 9-year-old daughter found dead in Lake George area
A Canadian man is in custody after his 9-year-old daughter was found dead in a wooded area of upstate New York, and authorities say "inconsistencies" in his account of her disappearance triggered an investigation, according to a statement released by the New York State Police (NYSP). Luciano Frattolin, 45, was arrested early Monday and booked into Essex County Jail at approximately 2:04 a.m. He is being held pending arraignment in Ticonderoga Town Court, NYSP said. His daughter, Melina Galanis Frattolin, was reported missing Saturday night while the pair were visiting Lake George, New York, from Canada. An Amber Alert was issued shortly after midnight Sunday based on Frattolin's claim that Melina had been abducted. But Sunday morning, the alert was canceled, and NYSP investigators said they had identified "inconsistencies" in Frattolin's statements and timeline. State Police launched a multi-agency search for the 9-year-old that included aviation, K9 units, forest rangers, and uniformed patrols, the department said. Melina's body was discovered on Sunday, July 20, in a wooded area near State Route 74 in Ticonderoga, the agency confirmed. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigation into her death remains ongoing, and no charges have yet been formally announced against Frattolin. In their release, NYSP said the Essex County District Attorney's Office is involved in the case, and additional updates will be provided pending the autopsy and further investigation. A press conference was scheduled for 10 a.m. ET Monday in Latham, New York, where New York State Police were expected to provide more details.
