A 9-year-old Canadian girl whose father had reported she had been kidnapped in upstate New York was found dead Sunday afternoon, with investigators saying she had not been abducted and they were now questioning inconsistencies in her dad’s story, according to authorities.
The body of the girl, identified by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office as Melina Galanis Frattolin, was discovered in Ticonderoga, New York, near the New York-Vermont border, about 15 miles from Lake George, where her father initially claimed she had been kidnapped on Saturday by a man driving a white van.
The report from the father led the New York State Police to issue an Amber Alert earlier on Sunday. A massive search was launched, involving State Police K-9 and aviation units, New York State Park Rangers, the Essex and Warren County sheriff’s offices, the New York State Department of Conservation, and the Ticonderoga Police Department.
“As the case progressed, law enforcement identified inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided,” according to a statement from the State Police.
The investigation was ongoing Sunday afternoon as State Police took over the investigation from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office.
There was no immediate comment from the State Police on whether Melina’s father, who police identified as 45-year-old Luciano Frattolin, also of Canada, had been arrested in his daughter’s death.
State police did not disclose how Melina died.
“At this time, there is no indication that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public,” the State Police said in its statement.
Luciano Frattolin called 911 in Warren County late Saturday night, claiming his daughter had been abducted by a stranger, according to police. The father claimed the girl was kidnapped around 9:40 p.m. at a rest stop off Interstate 87 near Lake George, where he allegedly claimed they pulled over to use the restroom, according to police radio dispatches provided by Broadcastify.
The father told police his daughter was wearing light colored shorts, a blue-and-white striped shirt and white Adidas sneakers, police said.
“The child was taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death,” authorities said in an initial statement that accompanied the Amber Alert.
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