Canadian father arrested after 9-year-old daughter found dead in New York

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.

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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.

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.

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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.