Father Found Guilty of Murdering His Daughter
Before the jury found Luciano Frattolin guilty of murder, he did not testify. But when the jury was not in the room, he said he wanted to.
On August 10, Frattolin was found guilty of second-degree murder and hiding a body in the death of Melina Frattolin.
A jury in New York found Frattolin guilty of killing his daughter on July 19, 2025. The girl's body was found near Ticonderoga, New York. She died from drowning.
The question of whether Frattolin would testify was not decided until the last day of the trial. A few days earlier, the judge talked to Frattolin about it.
The prosecution had finished their case, and the jury was not in the room. The judge explained to Frattolin that he did not have to testify.
As the judge was talking, Frattolin interrupted her.
Frattolin said, 'I trust people easily. And I trusted the cops.'
The judge reminded Frattolin of his right to remain silent and asked if he had enough time to decide.
Frattolin said, 'I need more time.'
The judge gave him the weekend to think about it.
On the morning of the verdict, the judge asked Frattolin if he would testify.
Frattolin said, 'I really want to, but I was advised not to.'
The defence ended their case after calling one witness. The jury took about an hour to find Frattolin guilty.
The jury heard Frattolin's story through police recordings. He said his daughter was kidnapped by two men in a white van.
Frattolin also suggested that the girl's mother might have planned a kidnapping. But the police did not believe him.
In the recordings, Frattolin changed his story when he heard new evidence.
When the jury said Frattolin was guilty, he stood quietly between his lawyers and shook his head.
The prosecution presented over two dozen witnesses during the trial.
The location data from Frattolin's phone and car helped find the body and prove his guilt.
After the trial, the prosecutor said he was ready to question Frattolin.
There were other discussions in the courtroom when the jury was not there. Frattolin's lawyers asked the judge to end the case.
One of the defence lawyers said the prosecution did not prove that Frattolin killed his daughter.
The prosecutor said the evidence pointed to Frattolin as the killer.
Notes in Frattolin's car showed that he wanted to kill his daughter.
The judge did not end the case.
The judge decided whether to show the jury a video of Melina sent to her mother.
The defence did not want the jury to see the video because it would make them feel sorry for Melina.
The prosecution was allowed to show the video without sound. Melina is seen playing with her hair and smiling.
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