On Tuesday, New York State Police shared a press launch, saying that preliminary post-mortem outcomes confirmed Melina’s explanation for loss of life was asphyxia resulting from drowning, and the style of loss of life was dominated a murder.

The reason for Melina’s loss of life got here simply at some point after authorities introduced that her father, Luciano Frattolin, 45, was charged with second-degree homicide and concealment of a human corpse.

The kid was reported lacking in Northern New York on Saturday night time by her father, Frattolin. The 2 have been on trip collectively in Connecticut and New York and have been on their manner residence to Montreal when she allegedly vanished.

The kid lived together with her mom full-time, whereas the lady’s mother and father have been estranged since 2019, police mentioned on Monday.

Her father initially informed police on Saturday night time that he stopped close to Lake George so he may relieve himself within the woods — to search out his daughter gone and a white van pulling away when he bought again to the automobile. An Amber Alert went out on Sunday morning a couple of “attainable abduction,” studying “the kid was taken underneath circumstances that lead police to imagine that they’re in imminent hazard of great bodily hurt and/or loss of life.”

Then, on Sunday, police confirmed Melina was discovered useless in Ticonderoga, round 40 miles from the place she was reported lacking. In an announcement Sunday night time, authorities mentioned, “Because the case progressed, legislation enforcement recognized inconsistencies within the father’s account of occasions and the timeline he supplied.”

Luciano was arrested and charged on Monday. In line with NBC Information, he pleaded not responsible and stays behind bars.

Throughout a press convention on Monday morning, police mentioned Luciano and Melina have been seen in Saratoga Springs round 5:30 on Saturday, earlier than the lady spoke together with her mom round 6:30 p.m., saying the father-daughter duo have been on their manner again to Canada.

Police imagine he killed the lady someday between when she spoke together with her mom and when he reported her lacking. Authorities additionally confirmed the lady’s physique was present in a shallow portion of a pond; no explanation for loss of life has but been revealed.

“He allegedly murdered Melina and left her physique in a distant space,” police mentioned throughout the presser.