On a pleasant day in July 2025, a man and his daughter were concluding their journey in the United States, as the girl was scheduled to go back to Montreal that evening. However, she did not make it back home.
The father reported his daughter missing, and after several hours, her body was discovered in a rural New York marsh.
Recently, Luciano Frattolin was convicted of the murder of his nine-year-old daughter, Melina Frattolin, and concealing her body.
A detailed account of Frattolin’s actions on July 19, 2025, during the final hours of his daughter’s life was presented during the three-week trial.
At 4:30 p.m., Frattolin and Melina arrived at a McDonald’s in Saratoga Springs N.Y., where they were seen on surveillance footage. Later, notes referencing taking Melina to an end and ending her suffering were found in the car.
As they ordered food at 4:35 p.m., they seemed relaxed, with Melina playing games on her phone while dressed in the same outfit she was found in later.
At 5:30 p.m., they left the McDonald’s and headed north towards Montreal. Melina used her phone for the last time at 5:36 p.m.
Frattolin made a detour at 6:35 p.m., driving towards Schroon Lake, then changing directions multiple times near bodies of water.
At 7:25 p.m., he drove towards Ticonderoga, N.Y., stopping at a hiking trail entrance for about an hour. Later, he claimed they were looking for a spot to swim, but investigators disputed this.
Melina’s body was discovered the next day in a marsh near the hiking trail, showing signs of drowning.
Frattolin’s communication with his wife and daughter via text messages and phone calls, including misleading statements about Melina’s whereabouts, were documented throughout the evening.
Finally, Frattolin reported his daughter missing around 10 p.m., alleging she was abducted by two men in a white van. However, his actions and communications raised suspicions, leading to the discovery of Melina’s tragic fate.
After the trial, the Essex County District Attorney expressed the heartbreaking ordeal of the mother who awaited her daughter’s return and received the devastating news of her death the following day.