Father charged after 9-year-old found dead in NY

(NewsNation) — The father of a 9-year-old girl found dead in upstate New York a day after she was reported missing has been charged.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, has been charged with murder in the second degree and the concealment of a human corpse. Authorities said Monday that a motive was still under investigation.

According to NewsNation affiliate WTEN, Frattolin called 911 around 9:40 p.m. to report his daughter, Melina, 9, as missing with a possible abduction near Exit 22 in Lake George, New York.

The Amber Alert said she was last seen in a white van heading southbound on I-87. Police said as they continued to investigate, they found inconsistencies in Frattolin's account of events and the timeline he provided.

According to police, Frattolin told them he pulled over on Exit 22 to take a bathroom break. He said when he returned to his car, he found a white van next to the car and two men forcing Melina to get in the van.

Frattolin and his daughter, both Canadian citizens, took a trip to New York on Saturday and planned to return on Sunday, where Melina would be back in the custody of her mother. Frattolin and Melina's mother had been separated since 2019.

Melina was found dead in Ticonderoga, New York, on Sunday. Her cause of death has yet to be determined.

He is expected to appear in court Monday morning.