Accused killer dad Luciano Frattolin may have been struggling to pay dead nine-year-old daughter Melina's child support as staggering debt is revealed
The flailing 45-year-old Canadian coffee entrepreneur — charged Monday with the murder of his 9-year-old daughter Melina during a trip to upstate New York — had rented a property in the hip Montreal enclave of Mile End since 2020, which he sublet as an Airbnb, according to a report in La Presse.
He hired two property managers to run the venture, including having them make the rent payments he owed — enabling him to pay his daughter's child support with what he netted afterward, he said in court documents obtained by the outlet.
But his lease was terminated by the landlord in August 2024 when he fell $26,000 behind in rent.
He was also being denied access to the property, where he said he stored his daughter's winter clothing and toys.
He is currently suing the managers for more than $115,000, claiming they exploited the property without his knowledge and never made the rent payments as promised, according to Le Devoir.
In turn, the managers alleged Frattolin had planned to empty his bank account and flee the country, which he denied.
An employee of Dépanneur Café, a coffee shop Frattolin once owned and on which he still owes Bank of Nova Scotia about $83,000, said the accused killer had been splitting his time between Italy and Canada for the past 18 months.
The bank said Frattolin also owed them $97,000 in unpaid credit-card debts from Café Gambella, another coffee shop bearing the same name as his online java business, Gambella Coffee.
At his arraignment in Ticonderoga Town Court on Monday afternoon, Frattolin said he couldn't afford a lawyer and requested a public defender.
But his Instagram page paints a very different picture of his financial situation, rife with photos and posts featuring exotic travel and expensive sports cars and replete with statements such as, 'I am truly addicted to Porsche.'
Frattolin and Melina had been traveling across Connecticut and New York as part of a custody arrangement he had with his ex-wife, from whom he split in 2019, New York State Police revealed at a press conference Monday.
Melina sounded fine when she made a phone call to her mom about 6:30 p.m., shortly before the girl and her dad were scheduled to fly back to Quebec, police said.
The dad then reported her missing that night — claiming she'd been snatched by two men in a white van around 7:40 p.m., just an hour after the call with her mom, the Albany Times-Union said.
Hours later, authorities found her body under a log in shallow water near New York's border with Vermont, with cops later saying the kidnapping report he filed was bogus.
He was charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
He's due back in court July 25.
Originally published as Accused killer dad Luciano Frattolin may have been struggling to pay dead nine-year-old daughter Melina's child support as staggering debt is revealed
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
7NEWS
18 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Sri Lankan cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka cleared of sexual assault in Australia pokes fun at the trial as he debuts new relationship
A Sri Lankan cricketer who was cleared of sexually assaulting a woman in Australia has poked fun at the high-profile case as he debuts a new relationship. Danuskha Gunathilaka, 34, was arrested in November 2022 and charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a Tinder date while he was in Sydney with the Sri Lankan T20 cricket team for the World Cup. Police had alleged he had removed a condom without consent, also known as 'stealthing', during a sexual encounter with the woman in Sydney's eastern suburbs. He was acquitted in September 2023 during a judge-alone trial, with District Court Judge Sarah Huggett noting there were 'deficiencies' in the prosecution's case and the credibility of the complainant. Now, Gunathilaka has revealed the impact the case had on him as he showcased his new relationship on Instagram this week. 'I'm not sure what's more terrifying, the wedding or the potential for a future court date,' he wrote, alongside photos of him posing alongside his new girlfriend. 'Send wine ... and maybe a lawyer referral.' Fans flocked to the comments section to wish the sports star congratulations. 'Stunning couple,' one follower wrote. 'Looking beautiful together,' a second said. One of Gunathilaka's friends added: 'My brother & sister. Love you.' The relationship launch signals that Gunathilaka has quietly parted ways from his girlfriend, Celine, who supported him during his trial. During the four-day hearing, his former partner was frequently pictured holding his hand as she accompanied him to court. When the ruling was handed down, he thanked Celine for standing by his side throughout the ordeal. 'The last 11 months have been really hard for me and especially for my lawyers, my manager, Celine and my parents and a few other people back in Sri Lanka,' he said at the time. 'Everyone believed me and that means a lot to me. I'm happy that my life is normal again, so I can't wait to go back and play cricket.' The batsman met up with the accuser at Sydney's Opera Bar on November 2, 2022, after they matched on Tinder before returning to her home and having sex. Gunathilaka was arrested a few days later after she made a report to police. He was initially charged with four counts of sexual assault, three of which were ultimately dropped before the matter proceeded to court on a single charge of stealthing. The woman told the court she said to the cricket star she would only agree to have sex if he wore a condom, which he 'grumbled about' but agreed to. The court heard the woman told police in her first interview that the condom was taken off 'against her will', but Judge Huggett said the woman failed to include 'critical evidence' — which she later provided in another statement six months later. After considering all the evidence, Judge Huggett ruled there was 'no opportunity' for Gunathilaka to remove the condom because the intercourse was 'continuous'. 'The deficiencies in the prosecution case of stealthing, remembering that the prosecution case was not one of rough or aggressive sexual intercourse, were apparent,' Judge Huggett said at the time. 'They were not the result of the factual findings made at trial … Nor were the deficiencies related simply to the credibility of the complainant. 'There were so many inherent issues and difficulties with the prosecution case that should have been obvious to the prosecution at the outset.' Gunathilaka was awarded costs over the case. He returned to Sri Lanka in October 2023 with Celine and has since resumed playing cricket.
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Judge's fury in case of Perth brothers killed in Mexico
A fed up judge in the looming trial of the accused killers of Perth brothers Callum and Jake Robinson has threatened to fine defence lawyers if the case is delayed again. Judge Oscar Padilla was visibly frustrated in granting another extension in a court in the Baja California beach city of Ensenada in Mexico , with lawyers posing possible plea deals. He told them it would be the last delay in the case and warned they would be fined if they were not prepared for the next hearing, set for November 13. Jesus Gerardo, Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesus face charges including aggravated homicide, aggravated robbery, violent robbery and grand theft auto linked to the deaths of the Robinson brothers and their American companion Carter Rhoad. A fourth suspect, Ari Gisel, is not accused of murder but is facing charges related to inciting violent robbery. Perth brothers Callum Jake Robinson were shot in the head and their bodies dumped in a well. Credit: Instagram / Instagram It was her lawyer who asked for the delay, arguing they needed more time to discuss sentencing options with the prosecution. None of the four accused have entered pleas. Judge Padilla again showed his frustration when prosecutors could not agree on the facts of the case. He warned them that he expected better clarity at the next hearing. According to the ABC, court documents presented during proceedings highlighted links between some of the accused and the Sinaloa drug cartel. Ari Gisel Credit: Supplied The organisation rules with fear and was once headed by cartel boss El Chapo. Gerardo and Francisco have been moved to a maximum-security facility amid rising concern over their alleged ties to organised crime. Callum, 32, and Jake, 31, were on surfing holiday and had been camping in a remote part of northern Mexico with their American friend Mr Rhoad, 30, when they were each shot in the head in April 2024. Their bodies were then callously dumped in a 15m well in Baja California. A fourth, unrelated body was also found in the same location.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- News.com.au
Canada hockey players learn fate in sexual assault case, verdict promps gasps in court
Five Canadian professional hockey players accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2018 were found not guilty on Thursday, with the judge ruling the complainant's account of the alleged offences was not credible. The case had captured the country's attention, and raised concern about broader issues in the culture of hockey, Canada's cherished national sport. Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Callan Foote stood trial on charges they assaulted the woman in a hotel room in London, Ontario in Canada following a national men's junior team celebration. All denied wrongdoing, claiming the woman — whose identity is protected — was an active and willing participant in a series of sex acts. Roughly 100 protesters supporting the woman were outside the court when the day began but were gone when court adjourned. The complainant's lawyer, Karen Bellehumeur, called the verdict 'devastating.' Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia read out her detailed decision in front of a packed London court, following one of the most closely watched trials in recent Canadian history. She opened the hearing by declaring that she did 'not find the evidence of (the complainant) to be either credible or reliable,' and that prosecutors had failed to prove their case. Those declarations prompted gasps in the courtroom and embraces among the families of the accused, public broadcaster CBC reported. Some five hours later, Carroccia announced not guilty verdicts for each of the defendants. 'I find as a fact that the complainant did express that she wanted to engage in sexual activity with the men,' she said. She ruled there was insufficient evidence to determine the consent expressed by the complainant 'was vitiated by fear.' Criminal trials in Canada are often decided by a jury, but the case shifted to a judge-only trial after two juries were dismissed. Multiple investigations The complainant, 20 at the time, met McLeod at a bar in London before having sex with him. That initial encounter was not at issue in the trial, which focused on events that occurred after McLeod messaged a team-wide group chat asking if anyone was interested in a 'three-way.' The court heard the woman engaged in multiple sex acts with the players over a number of hours. Prosecutors argued the players failed to take steps to ensure her consent. Defence lawyers said the woman willingly participated and only made the assault allegations after regretting her choices. In her reasoning for the verdict, the judge said there were 'troubling aspects' to how the complainant recalled the events. Carroccia noted the woman said she was speaking 'her truth,' not the truth, 'which seemingly blurs the line between what she believes to be true and what is objectively true.' Bellehumeur said her client faced 'insulting, unfair, mocking and disrespectful' treatment from the defence over several days of withering cross-examination. An initial police investigation into the allegations produced no charges. Subsequent media probes revealed Hockey Canada, a governing body, used funds from subscription fees paid by ordinary families for a $3.55 million CAD (A$3.95) out-of-court settlement with the woman, forcing the resignation of Hockey Canada's leadership. Amid public uproar, London police re-opened the case and brought charges against the players last year. Formenton's lawyer, Daniel Brown, told reporters after the verdict that London police 'got it right seven years ago.' 'Political and media pressure brought this allegation back into the spotlight,' Brown said, accusing prosecutors of 'forging ahead with a hopeless prosecution.' Court proceedings focused on the evolving legal definitions of consent, and the trial addressed videos made by McLeod of the complainant saying she was OK with what happened. Prosecutors argued the decision to make a video indicated concern the sex was not consensual. Hart, a former National Hockey League goaltender, testified such videos were common practice among professional athletes. Carroccia made clear she did not assess the videos as evidence of consent, but found they shed light on the woman's state of mind. 'She was speaking normally. She was smiling. She did not appear to be upset or in distress,' the judge said.
