A man who invited his daughter on a father-daughter lake trip before killing her and hiding her body under a rock has been sentenced. Luciano Frattolin received 25 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder of his daughter Melina, plus one to three years for concealing her body.
Failed bonding trip ends in tragedy
Luciano had wanted to take his 9-year-old daughter back to his native Ethiopia. However, Melina told her mother, who had full custody, that she did not want to go. Her mother eventually allowed Frattolin to take her to a lake in upstate New York on July 11, 2025. They were supposed to return to Montreal a week later but never showed up.
At about 5.30pm on July 19, Melina was seen with her father on video surveillance in Saratoga Springs, NY. She spoke to her mother on the phone and did not indicate she was under any duress at 6.30pm.
False kidnapping claim unravels
Four hours later, Luciano told police in a frantic phone call that Melina had been kidnapped by two men in a van at Lake George. Police launched an instant manhunt but found no evidence of such a van.
Melina’s body was found the next day hidden under a rock in a pond in Ticonderoga. An autopsy revealed that her cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning and her manner of death was homicide, state police said. Luciano was arrested the next day and charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Judge’s rebuke and family statement
‘We will never know what happened on the evening of July 19, 2025,’ Judge Coffinger told Frattolin in Essex County Supreme Court, WNYT reports. ‘We do know that in a moment Melina needed her father the most, you failed to protect her.
‘Instead, Mr Frattolin you live in a world of self-made delusion, of wealth and image, when the greatest accomplishment of your life could have been to be a great father. It is not what you are going to be remembered for.’
Melina’s family said: ‘We continue to suffer deeply since the day Melina was brutally murdered. Nothing can bring Melina back, but we are relieved that this chapter is over.
‘We are sincerely grateful to everyone who worked on the case for your dedication and persistence. Your efforts helped bring a measure of justice for our family.’
