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.