According to preliminary autopsy results, Melina died from asphyxiation due to drowning, as confirmed by the New York State Police on Tuesday. Her death has officially been ruled a homicide.

Final Moments Before Her Death

Melina had spoken with her mother about an hour before her murder, which authorities believe occurred between 7:40 p.m. and 9:12 p.m. last Saturday. During the call, her mother reported that Melina seemed normal and gave no indication anything was wrong. Concern arose later that night when Melina’s father, Luciano Fratolin, stopped responding to the mother’s messages. Their return to Montreal had been scheduled for that same evening—the final day of their trip.

The Discovery

The child’s body was discovered on Sunday afternoon under a log in a shallow pond near Ticonderoga, just hours after Fratolin had falsely reported his daughter missing. The 45-year-old claimed two men in a white van had abducted her, prompting an Amber Alert. However, investigators found no evidence supporting that claim.

“The father told police he had stopped near Exit 22 of I-87, close to Lake George, to urinate. When he returned to the vehicle, his daughter was gone,” said New York State Police Deputy Superintendent Robert McConnell. “He described seeing a suspicious white van with two men inside. That lead was thoroughly investigated and dismissed.”

Fratolin has since been arrested and charged with murder and concealment of a body. At his initial court appearance on Monday, he pleaded not guilty.

The Background

Luciano Fratolin, of Ethiopian and Italian descent, had been divorced from Melina’s mother since 2019. Both lived in Quebec, Canada, and Melina resided full-time with her mother. The New York vacation had been long-planned and began on July 11.

Security footage last captured Melina alive at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, dining with her father at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs. She called her mother about an hour later. That was the last time anyone heard from her.

No Warning Signs, Unknown Motive

Authorities have yet to release a motive, and no prior incidents of domestic abuse had been reported. Melina’s mother told investigators she had never feared for her daughter’s safety.

However, local media in Montreal report that Fratolin was under serious financial strain, with debts amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. He reportedly struggled to pay child support and maintain his business.

On his company’s website, Fratolin had described Melina as “the light of his life” and his “source of inspiration.” He also mentioned difficulty managing his obsessive need for order, especially when confronted with Melina’s “messy artistic creations.”

His last social media post featuring Melina dates back to 2023. His most recent post, in June 2024, simply shows a Porsche.

What’s Next

The investigation is ongoing, with authorities still seeking to uncover what drove Fratolin to allegedly take the life of his own daughter. The case has shocked communities in both the U.S. and Canada, where friends and family mourn the senseless loss of a child described as bright and full of life.

“Everyone is in shock,” a relative of the mother told Canadian outlet La Presse. “The whole situation is causing immense distress to our family.”