A Canadian man has been charged with murder after police allege he killed his 9-year-old daughter and concealed her body beneath a log in a remote upstate New York waterway before falsely reporting her as kidnapped, as reported by The New York Post.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of a corpse after law enforcement located the body of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, hours after he claimed she had been abducted.

Image Credit: Essex County Sheriff's Office

Authorities say Frattolin placed a false emergency call Saturday night, alleging that his daughter had been taken by someone driving a white van in the Lake George region.

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Melina’s body was later discovered in a wooded area in Ticonderoga, approximately 30 miles from where the pair had been vacationing.

Police say there was no evidence to support Frattolin’s initial kidnapping report, and new details in a criminal complaint filed Monday allege the father intentionally concealed his daughter’s body underneath a log in a stream after killing her.

Image Credit: © Jay Janner/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Frattolin and his daughter, residents of Montreal, were in the U.S. for a court-approved custody visit. The child’s mother, who remains in Canada, had not expressed any concerns regarding her daughter’s safety prior to the trip, according to authorities.

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Frattolin, originally from Ethiopia, is the founder of Gambella Coffee, a Montreal-based business. The company’s website has since been taken offline following his arrest.

Archived versions of the website included a personal biography in which Frattolin described Melina as his “inspiration” and discussed learning to adapt to her “messy art projects” despite his preference for a meticulously ordered environment.

Melina was last seen alive Saturday evening. Surveillance footage captured the father and daughter in Saratoga Springs at approximately 5:30 p.m. that day.

Luciano Frattolin pleaded not guilty today to murdering his daughter and hiding her body in a pond in Ticonderoga. 100 miles away, State Police officials were telling reporters his story about a purported abduction on the Northway was entirely made up.https://t.co/oX3zvqI1KL

— Patrick Tine (@PatrickTineNews) July 21, 2025

An hour later, Melina reportedly made a phone call to her mother and appeared to be in good spirits. Her father’s report of her alleged abduction came shortly after the call.

Officials confirmed Monday that an autopsy is underway to determine the exact cause of death. Authorities have not publicly stated a motive but have emphasized that there is no indication Melina was taken by anyone other than her father.

JUST IN: Video of Luciano Frattolin, 45, who is charged in the death of his 9-year-old daughter, Melina Frattolin. pic.twitter.com/CzSTcwI6WL

— WNYT NewsChannel 13 (@WNYT) July 21, 2025

Frattolin remains in custody at Essex County Jail and is awaiting further court proceedings. The investigation remains ongoing.

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