During a Monday morning, July 21 press conference, authorities said that 45-year-old Frattolin has been charged with murder and the concealment of a human corpse after his daughter's body was found in the shallow part of a pond in Ticonderoga Sunday at approximately 10:50 a.m.
The elder Frattolin was lodged in the Essex County Jail, Daily Voice confirmed.
Melina was reported missing around 10 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, in the area of Exit 22 on I-87, prompting an Amber Alert, according to a release from New York State Police.
The call came from her father, who initially claimed a possible abduction had occurred, authorities said.
An investigation found that Melina and her father, both of Montreal, Canada, legally entered the United States on July 11 for a vacation. They were scheduled to return to Canada on Sunday, July 20, at which point Melina would return to her mother, with whom she lives with full time, police said.
Luciano Frattolin and Melina's mother have been estranged since 2019, authorities said.
In the hours before the pair were scheduled to return home, Melina called her mother and seemed in good health. The two were also seen on surveillance in Saratoga, NY, where Melina was also in good health and did not appear to be in duress, police said.
So, after she was reported missing in a possible abduction called in by her father, authorities launched their investigation.
What they found were “inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline,” and that there was never an abduction at all, according to police. Subsequently, Melina was found dead by New York forest rangers at approximately 10:50 a.m. Sunday, police said.
Frattolin appears to be the founder of Gambella Coffee, where he describes Melina as his "beautiful daughter" and the "inspiration for... well, everything."
The elder Frattolin shared photos of Melina on social media depicting a seemingly happy life together all over the world.
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
