Melina Galanis Frattolin, a 9-year-old girl from Canada, was found dead in Ticonderoga, New York, just hours after an Amber Alert was issued by the Warren County Sheriff's Office in connection with her disappearance.
According to a statement released Sunday by the New York State Police, the investigation began after Warren County 911 received a call from Melina's father, Luciano Frattolin, who reported his daughter missing in the area of Exit 22 on I-87 in Lake George.
“On July 19, 2025, at approximately 9:58 p.m., Warren County 911 received a call from a man reporting his 9-year-old daughter missing, with a possible abduction, in the area of Exit 22 of I-87 in Lake George, New York. The child was identified as Melina Frattolin, age 9, and the caller as her father, Luciano Frattolin, age 45, both residents of Canada,” the police statement read.
The Amber Alert was issued around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. However, as the case progressed, law enforcement noted "inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided.”
{{/usCountry}}The Amber Alert was issued around 1:30 a.m. Sunday. However, as the case progressed, law enforcement noted "inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided.”
{{/usCountry}}Melina's body was discovered Sunday afternoon in Ticonderoga by New York State Police, with assistance from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, Ticonderoga Police Department, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, State Forest Rangers, and K9 and Aviation units.
“At this time, there is no indication that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public,” police said.
Following this, Melina's father Luciano Frattolin was taken into custody. He was being held at the Essex County Jail.
Also Read: Melina Frattolin: 5 key facts on 9-year-old found dead in Ticonderoga - from parents to Canada link
Who is Luciano Frattolin?
Luciano Frattolin is a Canadian entrepreneur and the founder of Gambella Coffee, a coffee company based in Montreal. He lived with his daughter, Melina, in the city.
According to his biography on the company’s website, Frattolin was born in Gambella, Ethiopia, to an Ethiopian mother and an Italian father. His childhood was split between the coffee fields of Ethiopia and the neoclassical surroundings of Milan, Italy.
“With a childhood spent running between rows of crimson coffee buds on the Ethiopian family plantation, and the neoclassical architecture of his father’s Milano, his vision of the world and his pursuits within, reflect these hyphenated cultures,” the bio states.
The profile also highlights his relationship with his daughter, describing Melina as “the light of his life.”
“Luciano currently spends as much time as he can in Montreal, Canada, with his beautiful daughter Melina. As the light of his life, she is the inspiration forwell, everything,” it states. “Seeing the world through her eyes has also helped Luciano look for creative ways to reinforce and empower Melina to know, feel, and understand her own unique individual beauty and intellect, while also teaching her to celebrate those same virtues inherent in the world’s diversity.”