A Canadian man accused of murdering his nine-year-old daughter while vacationing in upstate New York had publicly described her as the “light of his life” on his coffee company’s website, according to CNN.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, from Montreal, has been charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse after authorities say he killed his daughter, Melina, and left her body in a remote area near Lake George, New York.

According to New York State Police, Frattolin had legally entered the United States with Melina for a vacation and was due to return to Canada on July 20. On July 19, he contacted police to report his daughter missing. He allegedly told officers that Melina had been abducted, prompting an Amber Alert the following day, per PEOPLE.

However, investigators soon found “inconsistencies” in Frattolin’s account. On July 20, Melina’s body was discovered in a secluded location, though officials have not disclosed the exact circumstances of how she died or where her remains were found. Frattolin was arrested shortly afterward.

Frattolin appeared in court on Monday, July 21, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is currently being held in custody while the investigation continues.

Prior to the incident, Frattolin was listed as the founder of Gambella Coffee, a Montreal-based company. Though the company’s website has since been taken offline, archived versions and media reports reveal that he frequently referenced his daughter on the site.

According to Associated Press, WRGB, and The Montreal Gazette, Frattolin’s biography on the company’s website stated that he “spends as much time as he can in Montreal, Canada, with his beautiful daughter Melina.”

It went on to describe her as the inspiration for his work, saying: “As the light of his life, she is the inspiration for, well, everything.”

The page also reportedly included reflections on parenting, with Frattolin writing that Melina had helped him “let go of his rigid tendencies” and that his drive to create a more equitable world stemmed from a desire to shield her from the injustices he had experienced growing up.

Authorities said that Frattolin and Melina’s mother, who have been separated for several years, shared custody, though the girl primarily lived with her mother in Canada. State police confirmed that the mother has been notified and is cooperating with investigators.

Officials have not released further details about the investigation or a possible motive. The case remains under active review, and Frattolin is expected to return to court in the coming weeks.

Featured image credit: Douglas Sacha / Getty Images.

A Canadian father has been arrested and charged with the murder of his nine-year-old daughter during what was supposed to be a weekend custody visit in upstate New York.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, was taken into custody early Monday (July 21) and charged with second-degree murder and unlawful disposal of a corpse, after police discovered the body of his daughter, Melina Galanis Frattolin, in a shallow pond near Ticonderoga on Sunday afternoon.

Frattolin had initially reported his daughter missing on Saturday night, claiming she had been abducted by someone in a white van after he stopped to use the bathroom near Lake George.

However, authorities say they quickly identified “inconsistencies” in his story — and later accused him of killing the child himself, the New York Post reports.

Weekend Visitation Ends in Tragedy

Melina had been spending the weekend with her father as part of a scheduled custody visit. Her parents, who divorced in 2019, share custody arrangements, though the girl lived full-time with her mother in Montreal. Frattolin had legal permission to travel with his daughter, and authorities say there were no prior reports of domestic violence or criminal behavior.

According to New York State Police, the father and daughter were seen on surveillance footage in Saratoga Springs around 5:30PM on Saturday. Melina then spoke with her mother by phone at approximately 6:30PM, just before the pair were due to fly home to Quebec. Her mother said the child sounded fine during the call.

By 7:40PM, Frattolin had contacted authorities to report that Melina had vanished. He claimed he had briefly stepped away to relieve himself in the woods near Lake George, and returned to find his daughter missing and a white van pulling away from the area.

Police issued an Amber Alert around four hours later, citing concerns that the child had been taken “under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death.”

A Grim Discovery and Criminal Charges

Just one day later, Melina’s body was discovered in a shallow portion of a pond near Ticonderoga, a remote area close to the Vermont border and approximately 40 miles north of where she was first reported missing.

By Sunday evening, investigators publicly dismissed the kidnapping claim, stating there was “no indication that an abduction occurred” and confirming that Frattolin’s account had not held up under scrutiny.

On Monday morning, Frattolin was formally charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He was processed at Essex County Jail just after 2:00AM. Authorities allege that he murdered his daughter shortly after her final phone call with her mother, and then left her body in a remote location.

An autopsy was scheduled for Monday to determine the exact cause of death.

As of now, investigators have not suggested a motive. The investigation remains ongoing.

A Shocking Turn for a Devoted Father

Frattolin, who was born in Ethiopia, is the founder of Gambella Coffee - a Montreal-based company named after the region of his birth. His company’s website had previously described him as a committed father devoted to social justice and deeply inspired by his daughter.

“His pursuits for building a more equitable and just world are deeply guided by his determination that she will not have to endure the same social injustices that he encountered throughout his childhood,” reads his biography, per The Post.

“Melina has also taught Luciano to let go of his rigid tendencies to keep everything in ‘perfect order’ — his love for Melina’s messy art projects and chaotic ensemble of toys supersedes his love for a meticulously spotless home.”

Elsewhere on the company’s website, Frattolin had described Melina as “the light of his life” and “his inspiration.”

Police confirmed that Melina’s mother had no prior concerns about the child’s safety during visits with her father.

The case has left communities in both Canada and the US stunned by the rapid shift from an urgent Amber Alert to a homicide investigation — and the tragic death of a little girl who, just hours before she died, sounded perfectly fine on the phone with her mother.

Featured image credit: amber.ny.gov

A CEO from Canada allegedly hid his daughter's body in a remote location before telling authorities that she had been abducted.

Luciano Frattolin, a 45-year-old Montreal entrepreneur and founder of Gambella Coffee, has been charged with second-degree murder and concealing the body of his nine-year-old daughter, Melina.

Frattolin and his daughter, both in the U.S. legally and visiting New York since July 11, were supposed to return to Quebec on Sunday, per the Daily Mail.

Authorities say Frattolin, who lived in Montreal and has no prior criminal record, made a desperate 911 call on Saturday night to report that Melina had been taken by two men in a white van while they were stopped near Exit 22 on I-87, near Lake George.

At the time, he told police he had pulled over to urinate in the woods, only to return and find his daughter gone. He later added that “two unknown males forced” Melina into the vehicle.

New York State Police swiftly issued an Amber Alert, warning that Melina was in “imminent danger.”

But investigators quickly grew suspicious after noticing “inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided.”

Just before 2:00PM on Sunday, Frattolin's story unraveled, as reported by the New York Times.

New York State Forest Rangers located Melina’s body “in the shallow water of a pond” in Ticonderoga. There was no evidence to support the claim of an abduction, and officials stated that there was “no threat to the public.”

“This is certainly a difficult case and a heartbreaking investigation,” said Captain Robert McConnell at a press conference Monday.

According to McConnell, Melina’s final known moments were captured on surveillance footage at 5:30PM on Saturday in Saratoga Springs.

By 6:30PM, she had phoned her mother in Montreal and told her she and her father were en route back to Canada. “The child appeared to be in good health and did not indicate she was under any duress,” McConnell said.

Tragically, police believe that “sometime after Melina's phone call with her mother and sometime before Mr Frattolin's 911 call, he allegedly murdered Melina and left her body in a remote area where she was later discovered by law enforcement.”

Frattolin and Melina had entered the U.S. legally on July 11 for a vacation and were scheduled to return to Quebec the day after the killing.

McConnell confirmed that Melina lived full-time with her mother, who had been estranged from Frattolin since 2019. The father had visitation rights without restrictions.

Frattolin was arrested and appeared in Ticonderoga Town Court on Monday in a white jumpsuit and shackles.

He pleaded not guilty and is currently being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility. He’s due back in court on July 25. Melina’s cause of death remains unknown pending autopsy results.

Behind his image as a globe-trotting coffee mogul, Frattolin was reportedly in deep financial distress, per the New York Post.

He owed more than $200,000 in business-related debts in Montreal. He had been renting a property in the trendy Mile End neighborhood since 2020, which he sublet on Airbnb to cover child support costs.

But in August 2024, his lease was terminated after falling $26,000 behind on rent.

Frattolin claimed the property also held his daughter’s winter clothing and toys and was suing his property managers for $115,000, accusing them of mishandling payments.

The managers, in turn, alleged that he had planned to empty his bank account and flee the country — a charge he denied.

He also owed $83,000 to the Bank of Nova Scotia for a previous coffee venture, Dépanneur Café, and had $97,000 in unpaid credit card debt tied to Café Gambella.

Featured image credit: Essex County Sheriff's Office

Heartbreaking new details have emerged, revealing how a father allegedly hid his nine-year-old daughter’s body after drowning her.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse after the body of his daughter, Melina Frattolin, was discovered partially submerged in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga on July 20.

A preliminary autopsy confirmed the cause of death as “asphyxia due to drowning,” with the manner ruled a homicide, according to New York State Police.

The father, who was born in Ethiopia, was arrested on July 15 and was charged with murder. Police have not disclosed a possible motive.

He appeared in Essex County Court on Wednesday (July 30) dressed in a gray suit and shirt, but no tie, where he was ordered to be held without bail.

Frattolin pleaded not guilty during his court appearance, repeating his plea from the prior week. His public defender, Emily Evatt, argued he had no prior criminal history and had plans to stay with a friend in New York City if released.

However, Judge Coffinger rejected the request, saying: “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...I cannot guarantee his return.”

“No amount of money would ensure he’d return,” acting Essex County District Attorney Michael Langey told the judge.

Authorities say Melina, who lived in Montreal, was visiting the Lake George area with her father when she was reported missing on the evening of Saturday, July 13.

Frattolin, who holds both Ethiopian and Italian citizenship, initially told police that his daughter had been abducted, prompting the issuance of an Amber Alert. But within 24 hours, search crews found the child’s body on private land roughly 30 miles north of where she was last seen.

According to the indictment, Frattolin hid 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," per The New York Post.

At the time of her death, the father was driving a 2024 gray Toyota Prius. Investigators released images of the vehicle and are seeking public assistance in retracing his movements on July 13, particularly between Exits 28 and 20 on the I-87 Northway during the early evening hours.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled for November 12, with a tentative trial date set for January 5, 2026.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are encouraging anyone with relevant information to contact the state police.

Featured image credit: Essex County Jail.

A preliminary autopsy has confirmed the cause of death for nine-year-old Melina Frattolin, the Canadian girl whose body was found in a pond in Ticonderoga, New York.

The child, who was visiting from Montreal, was reported missing by her father, Luciano Frattolin, on Saturday evening. Less than 24 hours later, her body was discovered partially submerged under a log in a shallow body of water on private land in Ticonderoga, the New York Post reports.

Melina, who was visiting the Lake George area from Montreal with her father, was reported missing on the evening of Saturday, July 13. Authorities issued an Amber Alert the following day, after Frattolin told police he believed his daughter had been abducted.

However, by Sunday afternoon, search teams discovered Melina’s body partially submerged under a log in a small, remote pond on private land in Ticonderoga, roughly 30 miles north of where she was last seen. Her death has since triggered a homicide investigation.

On Monday, Frattolin, 49, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He is accused of killing his daughter and attempting to hide her body in the wooded area, per ABC News. Authorities have not publicly discussed a possible motive.

The following day, state police confirmed that an autopsy conducted at Glens Falls Hospital determined the cause of death to be "asphyxia due to drowning." The manner of death was ruled a homicide.

Investigators have released images of Frattolin’s vehicle (a 2024 gray Toyota Prius) and are seeking assistance from the public to establish his movements on the day of the incident.

Police believe he was driving along the I-87 Northway between Exits 28 and 20 during the early evening hours of Saturday, July 13.

The investigation remains ongoing, with police asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or has information related to the case to come forward.

Frattolin is currently in custody and awaiting further court proceedings.

Featured image credit:New York State Police