During the court proceedings, it was revealed that DNA evidence linked a man, Luciano Frattolin, to a pair of shorts discovered near the location where his daughter’s body was found last summer. A DNA analyst from the New York State Police testified that both Luciano and his daughter Melina’s DNA were identified on the shorts, which were recovered from a garbage bag near the highway close to where Melina’s body was discovered.
The analyst, May Scarlat, informed the court that while the shorts contained the DNA of Luciano and Melina, she was unable to find any identifiable DNA on other items in the bag, such as a t-shirt and shoes. Luciano Frattolin, a 46-year-old man from Montreal, is facing charges of second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in connection with the death of his nine-year-old daughter Melina. Despite his plea of not guilty to the charges, he has been in custody since his arrest in July 2025.
Scarlat also shared that Melina’s DNA was present on the clothing she was wearing when her body was discovered, including a jacket with blood traces, but Luciano’s DNA was not found on these items. Traces of additional DNA were detected on some of the girl’s other clothes, although Scarlat was unable to determine their origins. She mentioned the possibility of DNA transfer from external sources, citing scenarios where clothing could pick up DNA from public settings.
Furthermore, Scarlat highlighted that environmental conditions like heat and moisture could impact DNA testing outcomes, emphasizing the complexities involved in analyzing genetic evidence. The tragic incident unfolded when Melina was found drowned in a rural New York marsh after a trip with her father.
