Luciano Frattolin, charged with daughter's murder, seeks bail again
The father accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter from Montreal while on holiday in upstate New York is preparing another bid for bail, his lawyer told a judge Tuesday.
Luciano Frattolin, 45, appeared in Essex County Court wearing a grey suit and striped tie, nodding as he confirmed his name to Judge Tatiana Coffinger.
His lawyer, assistant public defender Eric Weyand, said he intends to file a written bail application in the coming days, as reported by The Canadian Press.
Frattolin has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in the death of his daughter, Melina, who lived with her mother in Montreal.
The girl's body was discovered on July 20 in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga, N.Y. An autopsy determined she died from asphyxia due to drowning.
According to local police, Frattolin initially reported Melina missing, claiming she had been abducted after he stopped along a highway exit near Lake George to urinate. Then investigators said his story changed before officers found the girl's body the next day, hidden beneath a log near a wooded area off Route 74.
He had entered the U.S with Melina earlier in July for vacation. She was due to return to her mother — who had full custody following the couple's 2019 separation — the day before she was found dead.
Later in July, Frattolin was denied bail after prosecutors cited what they described as his risk of flight.
Court records and acquaintances describe him as a dual citizen of Italy and Ethiopia with overseas business ventures, including a mining deal and a planned hotel project in Addis Ababa. A former associate told The Gazette that Frattolin was known for his wealth and image-conscious lifestyle.
'He never flew coach,' the man said. 'He was one of the first people to bring a Porsche into Ethiopia.'
Now he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. The concealment charge carries up to four years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
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