Heartbreaking piece of Melina Frattolin 'evidence' dumped in flower bed after nine year-old's murder 'by father'
Frattolin's lifeless body was found underneath a log in the shallow end of a pond near Ticonderoga Sunday after her father, Luciano Frattolin, reported her missing the day before.
Luciano, a Canadian CEO, initially told police his child was abducted by someone in a white van in upstate New York, but now cops claim he misled the investigation after they found her dead.
Nearly a week after the little girl's body was discovered, Rob Gregor, the owner of Gregor Hotels in Lake George, said his staff found the device that he believes was Frattolin's in the flowers outside the building just off Exit 22 - the same area Luciano called police to report her missing.
'We looked at a couple other pictures and it looked shockingly similar to, you know, the little girl they were looking for,' Gregor told CBS6.
He said objects often get dumped in the town, especially on a Saturday night, but when his staff decided to switch it on they found what appeared to be images of her on the screen.
'She plugged in the tablet and the first photographs look very much like the missing girl at the time. She was missing– We didn't know that she was deceased – So, I ran over to the hotel,' Gregor recalled.
After finding the device, Gregor contacted the authorities, prompting a Warren County Sheriff deputy and the New York State Police to respond.
A tablet believed to have belonged to Melina Frattolin, the nine-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by her father, was found dumped in a flower bed outside of a Lake George hotel
Rob Gregor, the owner of Gregor Hotels in Lake George, said he found a device that he believes was Frattolin's in the flowers outside the building just off Exit 22 (pictured) - the same area Luciano called police to report her missing
'They took it into evidence. So that's the last I saw of it,' Gregor told the outlet.
The authorities are yet to confirm the tablet belonged to the Fratollin. Daily Mail contacted the New York State Police for comment but did not hear back in time for this report.
An autopsy ruled that Melina died from asphyxia due to drowning. The manner of death was ruled a homicide.
Luciano, who has been arrested in connection to his daughter's suspicious death, was reportedly spotted running by a witness.
Ticonderoga resident Rebecca Kulickowski said she had tipped police off after saying she spotted a man sprinting through a hilly section of woodland on Saturday night.
She told News10: 'It only caught my eye because as I was driving past the car, I seen a skinny tall guy. And he was running up a hill that he was parked next to and there was wooded area on the bottom of it.
'I just didn't feel right, there was something about him, I don't know, our eyes locked when I drove by, he looked at me.'
Luciano (pictured with his late daughter) initially told police his child was abducted by someone in a white van in upstate New York, but now cops claim he misled the investigation after they found her dead
Gregor said when his staff powered the tablet on they found images that appeared to look like Frattolin. (Pictured: The flower bed the device was found in)
Police released pictures of Luciano's vehicle, a grey 2024 Toyota Prius, as they asked for help in gathering more evidence
State Police said they had received over 700 tips from the public after the initial alert was issued.
As part of their investigation, they also released pictures of Luciano's vehicle, a grey 2024 Toyota Prius, as they asked for help in gathering more evidence.
Captain Robert McConnell with the New York State Police said her father, who lives in Montreal, Canada, killed the girl on Saturday night while they were on vacation close to the picturesque town of Lake George, located in the Adirondacks region of New York.
The father and daughter were both in America legally after starting their vacation on July 11. They were due to return to their native Quebec on Sunday.
Luciano initially called the local Warren County Sheriff's Office claiming that two men in a white van had abducted his daughter.
An AMBER alert was ssued by New York State Police around 10pm, as they advised the public they believed she was in 'imminent danger.'
Luciano was charged with second-degree murder on Sunday night. The father remains in custody and has pleaded not guilty
Police soon became suspicious of Luciano's story just before locating her body around 2pm Sunday.
He was charged with second-degree murder on Sunday night. The father remains in custody and has pleaded not guilty.
He is being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility and he was spotted in a white prison jumpsuit and shackles while he was hauled into Ticonderoga Town Court on Monday.
The nine-year-old resided full time with her mother and her father visited without limitations. He also had zero criminal record, McConnell said.
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