Nine-year-old Melina Frattolin died by drowning, according to a preliminary autopsy on the little Canadian tourist allegedly killed by her dad in upstate New York.
The Montreal girl’s body was discovered under a log in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga on Sunday afternoon, fewer than 24 hours after her father, Luciano Frattolin, reported she had been abducted.
Melina was determined to have died by “asphyxia due to drowning,” according to the preliminary autopsy conducted at Glens Falls Hospital, and reported by New York State Police on Tuesday afternoon.
Her death was determined to be a homicide.
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Pictures of Frattolin’s car, a 2024 gray Toyota Prius, were shared by state police Tuesday as they asked for help from the public to determine the route of the vehicle.
Frattolin is believed to have driven along the I-87 Northway between Exits 28 and 20 during the early hours of Saturday evening.
Melina’s father was charged with her murder on Monday, as well as with abuse of a corpse.
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