A 9-year-old girl, who authorities said was in “imminent danger,” was discovered dead following early reports of a kidnapping near Lake George, New York. Police have since stated that her father’s description of events contained “inconsistencies”.
On Sunday, July 20, hours after officials issued an Amber Alert for Melina Frattolin, the New York State Police revealed that she had died near Ticonderoga, New York.
Luciano Frattolin, Melina’s 45-year-old father, initially called Warren County officials at roughly 9:58 p.m. local time on July 19 to report his daughter missing, according to a state police announcement issued on July 20. Police eventually issued an Amber Alert, prompting widespread media coverage of the girl’s probable kidnapping.
After the Warren County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) took over the investigation, officers “identified inconsistencies in the father’s account of events and the timeline he provided,” according to state police.
Authorities tracked down Melina in Ticonderoga with the assistance of many organizations in New York and Essex County.
“Due to jurisdictional considerations, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office has turned the investigation over to the New York State Police,” the department said in a statement. “At this time, there is no indication that an abduction occurred, and there is no threat to the public.”
At 4:18 p.m., state police announced that the WCSO had canceled Melina’s Amber Alert. When asked for comment on July 20, state police referred PEOPLE to their news release.
According to state authorities, the father and daughter both live in Canada.
Melina’s death came just hours after state police issued an Amber Alert stating that the 9-year-old, who was last seen in a white van at 9:40 p.m. on July 19, had been “taken under circumstances that lead police to believe that they are in imminent danger of serious bodily harm and/or death.”
According to the since-canceled Amber Alert, the girl was last spotted traveling southbound on Interstate 87 around exit 22 in the Lake George region. The WCSO had been looking into the matter as a child kidnapping.
At the time of the Amber Alert, a suspect was unknown, and authorities encouraged anyone with information about Melina’s whereabouts to contact the WCSO. She was described as being of Indian heritage, with brown hair and brown eyes, standing 5 feet tall, weighing 100 pounds, and wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt, shorts, and white Adidas sneakers.
The Amber Alert, issued by state police in New York, did not specify what the youngster was doing at the time of her claimed abduction, where she was, or who she was with.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Amber Alerts are issued in “the most serious child abduction cases.” Since December 31, 2024, 1,268 children have been “recovered” as a result of the warnings.
