Luciano Frattolin of Montreal is set to appear today in Essex County Court.
The 45-year-old is facing second degree murder charges after his daughter Melina, 9, was found dead July 20 in Ticonderoga in a remote pond along Route 74.
Frattolin initially told the Warren County Sheriff’s Department the girl was abducted by two men in a white van July 19 at Exit 22 of the Adirondack Northway in Lake George after he stopped alongside the road. He said the van then sped south on the interstate, which triggered a massive search by multiple agencies and an Amber Alert being issued within hours.
However, Frattolin’s story quickly began to unravel, police said, and its many inconsistencies made them believe he might have been involved in her death. The Amber Alert was canceled after her body was found in Ticonderoga.
State Police revealed Melina’s cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning and was ruled a homicide.
This story will be updated.