Internet “White Van Theory” Emerges in Homicide of Melina Frattolin

Less than a week after a monster from Montreal killed his daughter in Upstate New York, members of the New York State Police haven't stopped searching for evidence that could help piece together the timeline of the tragic death of 9-year-old Melina Frattolin.

State Police announced this week that they're looking for any additional eyewitness accounts or surveillance footage of the pair traveling between July 11th and July 19th, and they included a few photos of the grey Prius that Luciano Frattolin was driving in the hours leading up to the horrifying murder.

Please call 518-873-2750 or email crimetip@troopers.ny.gov with any information.

Father Says Daughter was Abducted

Police say Luciano Frattolin was on vacation with his daughter, visiting New York and Connecticut, and was last spotted in Saratoga Springs on Saturday at around 5:30 PM at a McDonald's.

A short time after that, police say that Melina had contact with her mom, telling her that she was doing fine and that they were heading back to Montreal on Sunday.

Following a false claim that triggered an Amber Alert, Frattolin told police that his daughter had been kidnapped and taken away in a white van at an Exit 22 rest stop.

Police would determine a short time later that there were no kidnappers, no abduction,  and it was Frattolin who allegedly killed his daughter and discarded her body in a shallow pond in Ticonderoga.
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However, a white van had been spotted a few times in news reports from local TV stations.

What About the White Van?

Police say that Frattolin concocted the story about the two men in the alleged white van that came and kidnapped his daughter.  However, news reports do show a white Toyota Sienna minivan near the area off Exit 22, where Melina's lifeless body was found.

Internet sleuths screengrabbed a photo of the Toyota Sienna, and some came up with a theory that may explain why the Montreal Monster thought he could get away with claiming a false abduction.

An anonymous commenter on the Facebook page where the photo was seen wrote, "Was wondering why there was a van being shown & then it showed him driving in a Prius. It makes sense now - he used this as part of his fabricated story. Good catch."

Strategically Placed Her Body Near the Van

It makes sense.

In recent photos that show State Police canvassing the area, the Totoya Sienna is part of the crime scene, and it appears to be marked off by police tape.

It's plausible to believe that after Luciano killed his daughter, he needed a place to discard her body, and in trying to find a remote location, he dumped her in an area where another parked car would seem suspicious.

It's a minor detail, and one that sadly, won't bring back an innocent girl whose life was cut short by a sociopathic monster.

Still, it does appear to be part of the story, and piecing together an accurate timeline is essential to ensuring that Luciano Frattolin never sees the light of day as a free man again.

If you or anyone you know has any information that could help the State Police, please call 518-873-2750 or email crimetip@troopers.ny.gov with any relevant details.