Friend of Dad Accused of Drowning Daughter During NY Lake Vacation Says He 'Didn't Like Being Tied Down'

A friend of the Canadian father accused of killing his daughter during a New York vacation claims although he loved her, he "didn't like being tied down."

Luciano Frattolin, 45, was charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse after his 9-year-old daughter Melina's body was found in a pond in a wooded area in upstate New York. The two had been on vacation in Lake George when Frattolin called 911 claiming his daughter had been kidnapped.

Frattolin was born in Ethiopia and split his time between the country and Canada, where his daughter and her mother lived in Montreal. However, an unnamed friend who knew Frattolin in Ethiopia told the Montreal Gazette that other than the two, he "didn't have any real connections to Montreal."

"From what [Frattolin] said, he truly loved [Melina]. He would visit at least once a year. He loved his daughter, but he didn't like the idea of being tied down," he told the outlet. "His main base was in Ethiopia, not Montreal."

The father was the founder of Gambella Coffee, which harvests beans from Ethiopia. According to the company's "About Us" page, which has since been taken down, Frattolin left Ethiopia when he was 17 to study in London and the U.S., where he felt more accepted after experiencing "incidences of racism" and "feelings of isolation" in Ethiopia.

Coffee was not Frattolin's only endeavor though, as the Gazette reported that he partnered with a Beijing-based company to found a mine in Ethiopia in 2019. The friend also said he had connections to the country's hotel industry.

However, that same year, the friend said Frattolin was assaulted, leaving permanent damage to one eye. Shortly after, Melina's mother allegedly learned he was cheating during a visit for his recovery, leading to their breakup, according to the friend.

Gambella Coffee's website had mentioned that Frattolin had suffered an "unfortunate event that severely affected his well-being" in 2019, but did not go into further detail.

The former friend, who told the outlet they had a falling out over financial issues a few years ago, described Frattolin as "very image conscious."

First responders issued an Amber Alert on July 19 after Frattolin claimed his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot near Lake George. However, police became wary after they said his story changed during interviews.

After Melina's body was discovered on July 20, Frattolin was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a corpse. He has pleaded not guilty.