Father’s Story Unravels After Missing Canadian Girl Found Dead in New York
July 20, 2025 | Topic: Crime | By XMN News Staff
TICONDEROGA, NY — A 9-year-old Canadian girl who was the subject of an Amber Alert in upstate New York has been found dead, and authorities are now questioning the story told by her father, who initially claimed she had been kidnapped by strangers in a white van.
Melina Frattolin, a Canadian resident, was reported missing on Saturday by her father, Luciano Frattolin, 45, who told authorities she had been abducted near Exit 22 in Lake George, a small tourist town in the Adirondack region. New York State Police (NYSP) responded swiftly, issuing an Amber Alert and launching a multi-agency search.
But less than 24 hours later, investigators announced a grim development: Melina was found dead in Ticonderoga, New York, approximately 45 miles south of where she was supposedly last seen.
In a press statement released Sunday, NYSP revealed that “there is no indication that an abduction occurred” and stated that inconsistencies in the father’s account and timeline led law enforcement to doubt his story.
“As the case progressed, law enforcement identified inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided,” NYSP said in a written release.
Authorities said there is no threat to the public, and no charges have been filed as of yet. A press conference is scheduled for Monday, where investigators are expected to release additional details.
Both Melina and her father were identified as Canadian citizens. Frattolin is the founder of an organic coffee company called Gambella, which markets its products with an emphasis on cross-cultural identity and ethics. According to his business biography, he was born in Ethiopia to an Ethiopian mother and Italian father, later moving to Canada.
Lake George to Ticonderoga
Frattolin originally claimed Melina vanished near a highway exit in Lake George, about 60 miles north of Albany. Ticonderoga, where her body was located, lies further south, raising questions about how and when the girl was transported and whether she was ever in Lake George at all.
No cause of death has been released, and the timeline of events remains under investigation.
Law enforcement officials are expected to provide updates during Monday’s scheduled briefing.
This is a developing story.