Luciano Frattolin: Lake George Dad Who Killed His Daughter Alludes to 'Rigid Tendencies', His Bio Reads, as Murder Motive Is Revealed
On his bio page for Gambella Coffee, his Montreal-based business, Frattolin refers to several difficult life experiences, including "incidences of racism," "feelings of isolation," and losing his father during his teenage years. He mentions a "tragic event" in 2019 that he claims "severely impacted his well-being" and required a "long and arduous" recovery process. While he doesn't provide further details, police said his relationship with his ex-wife appeared to have badly soured around that period.
Killer Dad's Praised Daughter
Luciano Frattolin's mugshot after his arrest X
Frattolin, 45, speaks fondly of his 9-year-old daughter Melina—whom he now stands accused of murdering —describing her as the "light of his life." He also acknowledges that she helped him let go of some of his "rigid tendencies."
"Melina has taught Luciano to let go of his rigid tendencies to keep everything in 'perfect order' — his love for Melina's messy art projects and chaotic ensemble of toys supersedes his love for a meticulously spotless home," he wrote.
Melina Frattolin X
Still, despite his obstacles, "He was left reinvigorated and reconciled the difficulties he faced during his youth by embodying the Nietzschean attitude of, 'That which does not kill him makes him stronger,'" says the bio, which has since been taken offline.
"He readily admits the mistakes of his past life and uses such reminiscences as momentum for doing better."
Frattolin's Instagram profile, which describes him as a "loving father," is filled with photos of him and Melina appearing happy and smiling together.
Luciano Frattolin with his daughter Melina Instagram
Police say, Frattolin made a false kidnapping report just hours before his daughter's body was found in shallow water in Ticonderoga, New York, on Sunday, during a vacation in the Lake George area roughly 30 miles away.
Investigators later determined there was no evidence of an abduction and noted several inconsistencies in Frattolin's account, WRGB reported.
Murder Motive Unclear
While police have not formally identified a motive, the timeline presented during Monday's press conference suggests that the alleged murder took place just as Luciano was preparing to give custody of his daughter.
Luciano Frattolin with his daughter Melina Instagram
Frattolin and his daughter had been on a weekend trip through Connecticut and New York during a scheduled custody visit granted by his ex-wife, whom he separated from in 2019, the New York State Police said at a Monday press conference.
The pair was last seen on surveillance video in Saratoga Springs around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, police said.
Young Melina sounded completely normal when she spoke with her mother on the phone around 6:30 p.m., just before she and her father were supposed to catch a flight back to Quebec, police said.
Luciano Frattolin with his daughter Melina Instagram
Later that night, her father reported her missing, alleging that she had been kidnapped by someone in a white van around 7:40 p.m.—about an hour after the call with her mom.
At first, authorities issued an alert warning that the child was in "imminent danger," but they later said there was no evidence of a kidnapping and pointed out inconsistencies in the father's story.
Police now claim that the father killed his daughter shortly after her phone call with her mother, then left her body in shallow water near the New York-Vermont border, where it was found on Sunday.
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