ELIZABETHTOWN — Jury selection concluded today in the murder trial of Canadian Luciano Frattolin.
Opening statements from the prosecution and defense are scheduled for Thursday morning in Essex County Court.
The last five jurors were picked this afternoon to hear the case of Frattolin, 45, of Montreal, who’s charged with killing his 9-year-old daughter, Melina, and concealing her body in a pond in the Town of Ticonderoga.
The jury consists of 12 regular jurors and four alternates. Alternates would be used if there are any problems during the trial, such as a juror becoming ill.
Frattolin has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. Frattolin has been held in the Essex County Jail without bail since his arrest last July.
He is represented by the Essex County Public Defender’s Office. Essex County District Attorney Michael Langey and his staff are prosecuting the case.
Jury selection started Monday. The trial could last three to four weeks, court officials say.
Frattolin and his daughter were on their way back to Montreal after a trip to the United States. State Police said Frattolin called 911 on July 19, 2025, to report his daughter had been kidnapped by two men in a white van near Lake George.
Police believe the kidnapping report was false.
According to an autopsy, Melina died from asphyxia due to freshwater drowning.
Frattolin and his wife had been separated since 2019; she had full custody of Melina.
He has dual Ethiopian and Italian citizenship and owns a coffee company in Montreal.