Father Sentenced to 25 Years to Life for Murdering 9-Year-Old Daughter After False Kidnapping Report

The father of 9-year-old Melina Galanis Frattolin has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of murdering his daughter during a trip to upstate New York and concealing her body.

Luciano Frattolin, a Canadian businessman from Montreal, was convicted in August 2026 of second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse. The case began in July 2025, when he reported that Melina had allegedly been abducted by two men in a white van near Lake George, triggering an Amber Alert and an extensive search.

Instead of finding a missing child, authorities discovered a heartbreaking crime scene.

A Missing Child Report Triggered an Urgent Search

Melina and her father had been traveling through New York and Connecticut during a vacation that began on July 11, 2025. The family lived in Montreal, where Melina’s mother had full custody of the child.

According to investigators, the pair were last seen together at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs on July 19. Later that evening, Melina reportedly spoke with her mother by phone and said she and her father were heading back to Canada.

That night, Frattolin contacted police and claimed his daughter had disappeared after he stopped along Interstate 87 near Lake George. He alleged that two men had taken her and driven away in a white van.

Authorities treated the report as an emergency. An Amber Alert was issued, and law enforcement agencies launched a search across the region.

However, investigators soon identified inconsistencies in the father’s account and the timeline he provided. Police said they found no evidence that an abduction had occurred.

Melina’s Body Was Found Near Ticonderoga

On July 20, 2025, searchers discovered Melina’s body in a shallow pond in a remote wooded area near Ticonderoga, New York.

Preliminary autopsy findings later identified the cause of death as asphyxia due to drowning, with the death classified as a homicide.

Investigators alleged that Frattolin had killed his daughter and concealed her body before reporting her missing. He was arrested on July 21, 2025, and charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.

Frattolin pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors subsequently built their case using investigative evidence, including records that challenged his account of the events surrounding his daughter’s disappearance.

A Trial Ends in Conviction

The trial began in July 2026. Prosecutors alleged that Frattolin drowned Melina and attempted to hide her body in a remote area.

On August 10, 2026, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse. The verdict followed weeks of testimony and evidence examining the final hours of Melina’s life.

In October 2026, Frattolin was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder, with an additional sentence of one to three years for concealing his daughter’s body, according to reporting by the Times Union.

The case brought a devastating end to a search that had initially mobilized authorities across northern New York in hopes of finding a missing child alive.

Remembering Melina

Behind the criminal proceedings was a 9-year-old girl whose life ended during what was supposed to be a family vacation. Her death left loved ones grieving and raised painful questions about the events leading up to the trip’s final hours.

The conviction and sentence marked major milestones in the case, but they could not undo the loss suffered by Melina’s family.

Sources:

• Original report, AOL / New York Post
• People, July 2025