A Canadian father has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his nine-year-old daughter, whose body was discovered in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga, New York, on July 20, 2025.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, of Montreal, Quebec, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse following the discovery of his daughter Melina Galanis Frattolin’s body. The preliminary autopsy conducted at Glens Falls Hospital determined that Melina died from asphyxia due to drowning, with the manner of death ruled a homicide.
The case began on July 19, 2025, when Frattolin called 911 just before 10 p.m., reporting that his daughter had been abducted near Exit 22 of Interstate 87 in Lake George. He claimed he had stopped at a parking area to urinate and returned to find his daughter missing, alleging that two men had placed her in a white van and driven away. An Amber Alert was issued around 1:30 a.m. on July 20.
However, investigators quickly identified inconsistencies in Frattolin’s account. New York State Police Captain Robert McConnell indicated that the abduction story was thoroughly investigated and refuted. “He fabricated the initial report of the abduction,” McConnell stated during a news conference on July 21.
Multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the search, including the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, Ticonderoga Police Department, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New York State Forest Rangers, and NYSP K9 and aviation units. Forest Rangers discovered Melina’s body at approximately 10:50 a.m. on July 20 in the shallow portion of a pond near Eagle Lake in Ticonderoga.
According to court documents, Melina’s body was found under a log in a waterway off State Route 74. The criminal complaint indicates she was killed between 7:40 p.m. and 9:12 p.m. on July 19, after she had spoken with her mother around 6:30 p.m.
Frattolin and his daughter had entered the United States legally on July 11, 2025, for a vacation that included visits to New York City and Connecticut. They were scheduled to return to Montreal on July 20, where Melina would have been returned to her mother’s custody. The parents had been estranged since 2019, with Melina living full-time with her mother while Frattolin had partial custody rights.
Surveillance footage from a restaurant in Saratoga Springs showed the father and daughter together around 5:30 p.m. on July 19. Approximately one hour later, Melina called her mother to inform her that they were heading back to Canada and that the trip was going well. Police determined that sometime between this phone call and Frattolin’s 911 report, he allegedly killed his daughter and disposed of her body.
Frattolin was arrested early Monday morning, July 21, and transported to Essex County Jail. He appeared in Ticonderoga Town Court for his arraignment, where he pleaded not guilty to both charges. During the court appearance, he spoke only to correct an address listed in court documents and to indicate he could not afford legal representation. He was ordered held pending a felony hearing scheduled for July 25.
Police confirmed that Frattolin had no prior criminal history or documented history of domestic violence. Melina’s mother had expressed no previous concerns about her daughter’s safety during visits with her father. Authorities noted that the father was authorized to travel with his daughter and had properly informed the mother about the planned vacation.
Frattolin is the founder of Gambella Coffee, a Montreal-based company named after the Ethiopian region where he was born. His company biography described Melina as “the light of his life” and noted his efforts to overcome rigid tendencies regarding order and cleanliness, specifically mentioning learning to accept his daughter’s “messy art projects” and “chaotic” toys.
State Police are continuing their investigation and seeking additional information from the public regarding the movements of a gray 2024 Toyota Prius that Frattolin and his daughter were traveling in. They are particularly interested in video evidence or eyewitness accounts of the vehicle traveling on Interstate 87 between exits 28 and 20 during the evening hours of July 19.
The motive for the alleged killing remains under investigation. Community members have organized a candlelight vigil in memory of Melina. Frattolin is scheduled to appear in court again on Friday, July 25, 2025.
