Canadian Father Robert McConnell Arrested in New York for Allegedly Killing 9-Year-Old Daughter Melina
[Latham, New York — July 21, 2025] — A Canadian man who reported his 9-year-old daughter missing while vacationing in New York has been arrested and charged with her murder after the child’s body was later discovered, authorities said Monday.
New York State Police Captain Robert McConnell announced that 45-year-old Luciano Fratolin, a resident of Montreal, has been charged with the murder of his daughter, Melina Fratolin.
According to the Albany Times Union, Fratolin entered a "not guilty" plea in court on Monday. Neither his attorney nor any assigned public defender immediately responded to phone or email inquiries from the Associated Press.
Fratolin had called 911 on Saturday night claiming that his daughter had been abducted from a parking lot in the resort town of Lake George, New York. Based on this report, an Amber Alert was issued in an attempt to recover the child with the help of the public.
However, investigators later found inconsistencies in his statement, and no evidence of an abduction was found.
"The story he told about the abduction was completely fabricated and false," said Captain McConnell.
On Sunday, Melina’s body was discovered near a pond about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Lake George, close to the New York-Vermont border.
Police reported that the father and daughter had traveled to the United States for vacation and were scheduled to return to Montreal on Sunday. Melina lived with her mother, who has been separated from Fratolin since 2019.
Attempts to reach Fratolin for comment through Instagram, LinkedIn, and the website of the coffee company he founded were unsuccessful.
On his Instagram profile, Fratolin described himself as a "loving father," and his company’s website referred to Melina as “the light of his life.”
Police also confirmed that Fratolin had no prior criminal record or history of domestic violence.
