A Montreal man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the murder of his 9-year-old daughter after claiming she was kidnapped while vacationing in New York.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, was indicted Tuesday on charges of murder and concealing a corpse but has maintained his innocence.
He reported his daughter, Melina Frattolin, missing on July 19. He told authorities Melina vanished from a parking lot near Lake George in the Adirondack region.
An Amber Alert was issued, and a multi-agency search, which included K-9 and aviation units, was launched to find the little girl.
Frattolin then told authorities two men forced his daughter into a white van, New York State Police said. But he was the one arrested after police found inconsistencies in his story and concluded there was no kidnapping.
The Independent has reached out to New York State Police and the Essex County attorney for comment.
Melina’s body was found in the shallow water of a pond off a state highway in Ticonderoga on July 20, authorities said. Her body was concealed with a rock near a fallen tree, according to the indictment.
New York State Police said the girl had drowned.
Frattolin was suspected of visiting the area before the murder, State Police Captain Robert McConnell previously said. McConnell said Frattolin had no prior criminal history.
Frattolin and Melina arrived in the U.S. on July 11, according to McConnell. They visited Connecticut and New York, including New York City.
Authorities believe Melina was killed on July 19, the day she was supposed to be returned to her mother in Montreal. Authorities say Frattolin, who was born in Ethiopia, was living in Montreal.
Frattolin and Melina’s mother have been estranged for years, and the girl lived full-time with her mother, according to police.
McConnell said Melina’s mother knew about the planned vacation and had no concerns about her daughter’s safety.
At court on Wednesday, a judge ordered Frattolin to be held without bail.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
