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Luciano Frattolin received a life sentence for the second-degree murder of his nine-year-old daughter, Melina Frattolin. He will not be eligible for parole for 25 years.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
A Montreal man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his nine-year-old daughter and leaving her in a marsh in rural New York. The sentence was delivered by Judge Tatiana Coffinger at Essex County Court, following a jury conviction for second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse.
Judge Coffinger rejected a motion to set aside the guilty verdict before delivering the sentence. Luciano Frattolin will not be eligible for parole before 25 years. Following the sentencing, the defence issued a notice of appeal.
The conviction stems from the death of Melina Frattolin, who had been living in Montreal with her mother. She had gone on a road trip to the U.S. with her father in July 2025. On the night they were scheduled to return home, Frattolin called police, reporting that his daughter had been kidnapped after he stopped the car he was driving on the side of the road.
During the three-week-long trial, the defence argued that local police had not adequately investigated Frattolin’s claims that his daughter was kidnapped. The prosecution called several police officers and experts who used car location data, cellphone data and surveillance camera footage to recreate Frattolin’s movements on the day his daughter died. The prosecution used this evidence to prove his story was false.
The jury deliberated for one hour on Aug. 10 before concluding that Frattolin was guilty. According to Castanet.net, the jury concluded that Frattolin had drowned the Montreal girl in a marsh in a rural area of New York.
This case highlights the legal consequences of child homicide and the use of digital forensics in criminal trials. The rejection of the defence's motion to set aside the verdict underscores the strength of the prosecution's evidence, which relied on technical data to contradict the defendant's account of the events.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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