Montreal father accused of murdering daughter, 9, in New York State denied bail

Luciano Frattolin, the Montreal father accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter, appeared in a N.Y. courtroom on Wednesday. Genevieve Beauchemin reports.

The Montreal man accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter in upstate New York earlier this month has been denied bail.

The District Attorney’s Office for Essex County confirmed that Luciano Frattolin, 45, entered a plea of not guilty after being arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse following the death of his daughter, Melina Frattolin.

Wearing a grey suit, Frattolin was escorted out of a police SUV and into the courthouse in Ticonderoga, N.Y., with his hands handcuffed in front of him.

He was remanded into custody without bail and is due back in court on Aug. 19.

The accused was scheduled to appear in court last Friday, but the appearance was cancelled after the court said the case was moved to a grand jury, which wrapped up the same day.

The grand jury formally ruled there was enough evidence to issue an indictment and allow the case to move to trial.

Melina was found dead on July 20 in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga after her father reported her missing.

Police alleged he fabricated the abduction story to mislead investigators.

Frattlolin allegedly 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 “with the intent to prevent its production, use or discovery,” according to the indictment.

The court documents alleged he killed his daughter sometime on July 19 between 7:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. near Route 74 in Ticonderoga.

A preliminary autopsy ruled that Melina died of asphyxia due to drowning and ruled her death a homicide.

The two had entered the U.S. on July 11 for a vacation and were supposed to return the day the child’s body was found.

In New York State, murder in the second degree carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Concealing a human body, a class E felony, carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison and $5,000 fine.

The prosecution argued that Frattolin, who holds Italian and Ethiopian passports, was a flight risk, also referencing his considerable assets.

The defence argued that he has never had a warrant and had planned to stay in New York City with a friend, claiming that he had no reason to flee and was willing to give up his Italian passport.

The judge said the trial could begin in January 2026.

With files from CTV News’ Genevieve Beauchemin.