{"success":true,"data":{"id":"d7fe8b00-d0c2-45da-96cd-00a56ab9c0f4","title":"Murder trial begins for Canadian coffee entrepreneur accused of drowning 9-year-old daughter in NY pond","summary":"trending now in US News Murder trial begins for Canadian coffee entrepreneur accused of drowning 9-year-old daughter in NY pond The trial of a Canadian coffee entrepreneur accused of drowning his 9-year-old daughter in an upstate New York pond kicked off Thursday with opening statements.","content":"#### trending now in US News\n\n# Murder trial begins for Canadian coffee entrepreneur accused of drowning 9-year-old daughter in NY pond\n\nThe trial of a Canadian coffee entrepreneur accused of drowning his 9-year-old daughter in an upstate New York pond kicked off Thursday with opening statements.\n\nLuciano Frattolin, 46, of Montreal is accused of filing a bogus kidnapping report after allegedly killing the little girl, Melina, while on a trip to the Lake George area last July.\n\nA jury for the murder case was chosen and attorneys gave opening statements at Essex County criminal court in Elizabethtown Thursday morning, according [to cbc.ca.](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/lawyers-present-arguments-in-trial-of-montreal-man-accused-of-killing-daughter-in-new-york-9.7280534)\n\nState police last year said they found inconsistencies in the father’s story after he reported his daughter had been abducted before returning her to her mother in Montreal.\n\nLuciano Frattolin is led into Essex County Court in Elizabethtown, NY Thursday. Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP\n\nLuciano Frattolin, 46, is accused of second-degree murder. Hans Pennink\n\n## Explore More\n\nThey later found her body hidden under a log in a remote pond near Ticonderoga. Her cause of death was asphyxiation by drowning.\n\nFrattolin was charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse, and has pleaded not guilty to both charges.\n\nBefore her death, [Frattolin had reportedly struggled to pay child support](https://nypost.com/2025/07/21/us-news/luciano-frattolin-may-have-been-struggling-to-pay-child-support-while-over-200000-in-debt-reports/), and made bizarre posts about how his daughter had disrupted his life.\n\nThe girl’s mother is expected to testify during the trial, according to cbc.com.\n\nFrattolin with daughter Melina. Instagram/Luciano Frattolin\n\nWhat do you think?[Be the first to comment.](https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/murder-trial-begins-for-canadian-coffee-entrepreneur-accused-of-drowning-9-year-old-daughter-in-ny-pond/#nypost-openweb-conversation)\n\nFrattolin, who was born in Ethiopia, previously claimed to have a high-flying lifestyle as a coffee company owner but told a judge last summer he was broke and couldn’t afford a lawyer.\n\nLuciano Frattolin is accused of drowning his daughter, Melina Galanis Frattolin, in an upstate pond. New York State Police\n\nFrattolin had previously gushed about Melina on his corporate bio page for his Montreal-based java company, Gabella Coffee, calling her “beautiful” and “the light of his life.’’\n\nDefense lawyers plan to argue police ignored evidence after Frattolin reported that his daughter had been kidnapped.\n\nThe content of opening statements wasn’t immediately known Thursday.\n\nFiled under\n\nSPONSORED STORIES\n\nAround The Web\n\n#### Trending Now  in US News\n\n*   [![Image 28: United Cajun Navy sets the record straight on how Nolan Wells’ body was found: ‘Families deserve the truth’](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/united-cajun-navy-nolan-wells-comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=260&h=174&crop=1)](https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/united-cajun-navy-sets-the-record-straight-on-how-nolan-wells-body-was-found-families-deserve-the-truth/)This story has been shared 118,559 times.118,559   ### [United Cajun Navy sets the record straight on how Nolan Wells’ body was found: ‘Families deserve the truth’](https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/united-cajun-navy-sets-the-record-straight-on-how-nolan-wells-body-was-found-families-deserve-the-truth/) \n*   [![Image 29: NJ couple loses their two children after Jersey Shore boating trip with grandparents ends in tragedy: reports](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/jersey-shore-boating-accident-young-children-dead-comp.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=260&h=174&crop=1)](https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/nj-couple-loses-their-only-two-children-after-jersey-shore-boating-trip-with-grandparents-ends-in-tragedy-reports/)This story has been shared 85,977 times.85,977   ### [NJ couple loses their two children after Jersey Shore boating trip with grandparents ends in tragedy: reports](https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/nj-couple-loses-their-only-two-children-after-jersey-shore-boating-trip-with-grandparents-ends-in-tragedy-reports/) \n*   [![Image 30: Grim final photo shows 5 friends fishing moments before they all drowned in Ohio river tragedy](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/AP_River_Deaths_Ohio_55567-75a0d-0.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=260&h=174&crop=1)](https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/us-news/grim-final-photo-shows-5-friends-fishing-moments-before-they-all-drowned-in-ohio-river-tragedy/)This story has been shared 73,828 times.73,828   ### [Grim final photo shows 5 friends fishing moments before they all drowned in Ohio river tragedy](https://nypost.com/2026/07/22/us-news/grim-final-photo-shows-5-friends-fishing-moments-before-they-all-drowned-in-ohio-river-tragedy/) \n*   [![Image 31: Gruesome new photos of Celeste Rivas shown at D4vd murder trial as her parents watch in horror](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/d4vd-comp-3.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=260&h=174&crop=1)](https://nypost.com/2026/07/21/us-news/gruesome-photos-of-celeste-rivas-decapitated-corpse-shown-at-d4vd-murder-trial-as-her-parents-watch-in-horror/)This story has been shared 32,479 times.32,479   ### [Gruesome new photos of Celeste Rivas shown at D4vd murder trial as her parents watch in horror](https://nypost.com/2026/07/21/us-news/gruesome-photos-of-celeste-rivas-decapitated-corpse-shown-at-d4vd-murder-trial-as-her-parents-watch-in-horror/) \n\n#### Most Commented Join the conversation\n\n#### Listen Now\n\n## Now on Page Six\n\n#### Video\n\n## Now on  Decider\n\n### Today's Cover\n\nYou are viewing**1** of **4**images Previous Image Next Image\n\n## More Stories\n\n### Page Six\n\n### Decider\n\n### NYPost","source_name":"New York Post","source_url":"https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/murder-trial-begins-for-canadian-coffee-entrepreneur-accused-of-drowning-9-year-old-daughter-in-ny-pond/","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/murder-trial-begins-for-canadian-coffee-entrepreneur-accused-of-drowning-9-year-old-daughter-in-ny-pond/","author":"Natalie O'Neill","author_name":"Natalie O'Neill","published_at":"2026-07-23T18:29:34.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-23T18:29:34.000Z","image_url":"https://nypost.com/2026/07/23/us-news/murder-trial-begins-for-canadian-coffee-entrepreneur-accused-of-drowning-9-year-old-daughter-in-ny-pond/","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":3,"word_count":590,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}