ELIZABETHTOWN — Jury selection in the murder trial of Luciano Frattolin began this morning in Essex County Court.
Frattolin, 45, of Montreal, is charged with killing his 9-year-old daughter, Melina, and concealing her body in a pond in the Town of Ticonderoga.
The two were on their way back to Canada after a vacation in the United States. New York State Police said Frattolin called 911 in July 2025 and stated his daughter had been kidnapped by two men in a white van near Lake George. Police believe the kidnapping report was fictional.
According to an autopsy, Melina died from asphyxia due to freshwater drowning.
Frattolin has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. He is represented by the Essex County Public Defender’s Office.
Frattolin and his wife had been separated since 2019; she had custody of Melina.
Jury selection is expected to take up to a week, and the trial itself could last three to four weeks, prosecutors said. A large jury pool has been called for the case.
Essex County District Attorney Michael Langey is prosecuting the case.