Today, a Montreal man is awaiting sentencing in Essex County Court after being found guilty of the tragic drowning of his nine-year-old daughter in a creek in Upstate New York.
Luciano Frattolin was convicted of second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse following a jury’s decision in Elizabethtown, N.Y. The jury deliberated for just an hour before determining that Frattolin had committed this heinous act in a rural area of New York.
Judge Tatiana Coffinger is set to announce the sentencing and also consider a motion to challenge the guilty verdict.
Throughout the trial, the defence attempted to argue that local law enforcement had not thoroughly investigated Frattolin’s claim that his daughter was kidnapped. However, the prosecution presented evidence from police officers and experts, including car location data, cellphone records, and surveillance footage, to debunk Frattolin’s story and demonstrate his culpability.
District Attorney Michael Langey has stated that Frattolin may face a life sentence for the murder charge, with the possibility of parole after 15 or 25 years.
This development was reported by The Canadian Press on Oct. 14, 2026.
