Dad Denies Killing Missing 9-Year-Old Daughter After Cops Dismiss His Original Kidnapping Story

A Canadian father is insisting he did not kill his 9-year-old daughter after police dismissed his claims that she had been kidnapped.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, pleaded not guilty Monday following his arrest days after calling police to say his daughter Melina had been kidnapped, according to New York State Police.

The father and daughter from Montreal, Canada, had been vacationing in New York since July 11. On Saturday night, first responders issued an Amber Alert after Frattolin called around 10 p.m. saying his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot near the town of Lake George.

Police became skeptical of the father's story after they said his story changed during interviews. Initially, Frattolin allegedly said he was not able to find her after returning to the parking lot, before later claiming he saw two men force Melina into a white van, the Associated Press reported. Authorities have found no evidence of the alleged van.

The girl was last heard from at around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, when she spoke to her mother over the phone to share that she and her dad were leaving New York to return to Canada. Melina's mother and Frattolin have been estranged since 2019.

On Sunday afternoon, authorities discovered the 9-year-old's body in a pond in a wooded area near Ticonderoga, New York, which is by New York's border with Vermont. An autopsy is pending to reveal her cause of death.

Frattolin had been expected to return Melina to her mother on Saturday, who had full custody of the child. However, no official motive has been given.

The 45-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse.