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Update on missing 9-year-old girl found dead in NY
The New York State Police held a briefing on Monday morning after a missing 9-year-old girl was found dead over the weekend in New York state.
NEW YORK - The father of a missing Canadian girl who was found dead in New York after an Amber Alert was issued for her has been charged with murder.
Father in custody: Who is Luciano Frattolin?
What we know:
Luciano Frattolin was charged with murder in the second degree and concealment of a human corpse. He was taken to the Essex County Correctional Facility. His arraignment was scheduled for later on Monday. Melina’s cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.
New York State Police said in a Monday morning briefing that Luciano allegedly murdered his daughter and left her body in a remote area, where she was later discovered by law enforcement. Authorities said he was on vacation with his daughter from Canada, and had been estranged from the girl’s mother, who has full-time custody. But he was authorized to travel alone with his daughter and the vacation was planned.
Luciano is the founder of Gambella Coffee, a company based in Montreal. In a biography, Melina was described as "the light of his life," WRGB reported, citing a website. Authorities said Monday he has no criminal history.
Melina Galanis Frattolin: Girl found dead after being reported missing
Timeline:
New York authorities issued an Amber Alert for Melina Galanis Frattolin after police say she was abducted in Lake George, New York, on Saturday night while the family was in the area.
According to WRGB-TV, law enforcement first reported the girl was last seen around 7:40 p.m. Saturday in a white van on I-87 southbound near exit 22. However, further reports changed that time to 9:40 p.m. Police also said she was believed to be in "imminent danger," and her body was discovered, with investigators saying there was no indication that she was abducted and there were inconsistencies in her father's account of events.
An Amber Alert was issued early Sunday morning, but authorities later found inconsistencies in the father's story and the timeline he provided.
The girl's body was discovered on Sunday around Ticonderoga, which is east of Lake George near the state line with Vermont, during a search, the Associated Press reported, citing state police. New York police said Monday that her body was found in the shallow part of a pond in the remote area.