Grim new allegations detail how Melina Frattolin’s dad hid her body after drowning her

ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. — Luciano Frattolin, the father accused of murdering his 9-year-old daughter in upstate New York, pinned the little girl’s body under a rock and a fallen tree, a newly released indictment has revealed.

Frattolin was already facing charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse related to the death of his daughter, Melina, whose body was found in a shallow pond outside Ticonderoga on July 20.

He appeared in court in Essex County on Wednesday morning in a gray suit and shirt without a tie, where he was held without bail.

Frattolin concealed his daughter’s body “by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse,” the indictment reads.

Handcuffed and shackled, the Ethiopian-born entrepreneur kept a cool expression throughout as he stared at the judge through thick-rimmed black glasses, responding with short answers to questions.

Frattolin pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, following his initial not guilty plea last week.

His request for cash bail was denied by Judge Tatiana Coffinger, after acting Essex County DA Michael Langey argued that he was a flight risk due to his citizenship in Ethiopia and Italy, as well as his ties in Canada.

“No amount of money would ensure he’d return,” Langey told the judge.

Frattolin’s public defender, Emily Evatt, argued that he has no criminal history and would plan to stay in New York City with a friend if granted bail, but the judge disagreed.

“I would be hard pressed to ignore the severity of the charges that are pending against him at this time and he does not have any ties to this area,” Coffinger said. “I cannot guarantee his return.

He is accused of murdering his daughter on July 19 while on a vacation from Canada to the United States, before making a fake kidnapping report.

Preliminary hearings were scheduled for November 12, while a potential trial date was set for Jan. 5, 2026.

ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. — Luciano Frattolin, the father accused of murdering his 9-year-old daughter in upstate New York, pinned the little girl’s body under a rock and a fallen tree, a newly released indictment has revealed.

Frattolin was already facing charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse related to the death of his daughter, Melina, whose body was found in a shallow pond outside Ticonderoga on July 20.

He appeared in court in Essex County on Wednesday morning in a gray suit and shirt without a tie, where he was held without bail.

Frattolin concealed his daughter’s body “by placing it in a wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse,” the indictment reads.

Handcuffed and shackled, the Ethiopian-born entrepreneur kept a cool expression throughout as he stared at the judge through thick-rimmed black glasses, responding with short answers to questions.

Frattolin pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, following his initial not guilty plea last week.

His request for cash bail was denied by Judge Tatiana Coffinger, after acting Essex County DA Michael Langey argued that he was a flight risk due to his citizenship in Ethiopia and Italy, as well as his ties in Canada.

“No amount of money would ensure he’d return,” Langey told the judge.

Frattolin’s public defender, Emily Evatt, argued that he has no criminal history and would plan to stay in New York City with a friend if granted bail, but the judge disagreed.

“I would be hard pressed to ignore the severity of the charges that are pending against him at this time and he does not have any ties to this area,” Coffinger said. “I cannot guarantee his return.

He is accused of murdering his daughter on July 19 while on a vacation from Canada to the United States, before making a fake kidnapping report.

Preliminary hearings were scheduled for November 12, while a potential trial date was set for Jan. 5, 2026.