Father accused of drowning daughter pleads not guilty in New York court

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ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — A man accused of drowning his 9-year-old daughter while vacationing in New York's Adirondack region and hiding her body in the water in the woods pleaded not guilty Wednesday.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, set off a frantic search for his daughter, Melina Frattolin, earlier this month by reporting her missing just before they were due back in Montreal. He was arrested after investigators found holes in his story. He was indicted Tuesday on charges of murder and concealing a corpse.

Frattolin, wearing a gray suit coat and glasses, was sent back to jail without bail after a brief court appearance.

Frattolin called 911 on the night of July 19 and said his daughter went missing from a parking lot near Lake George, a resort town in the Adirondack region. He later told authorities that two men forced his daughter into a white van, according to New York State Police.

Officials issued an Amber Alert to enlist the help in finding the girl, but later noticed inconsistencies in Frattolin's account and concluded there was no abduction.

Authorities say searchers found the girl’s body in the shallow water of a pond off a state highway. The body was concealed with a rock near a fallen tree, according to the indictment.

The girl lived in Montreal with her mother, who has been estranged for years from Luciano Frattolin, police said.

Authorities say Frattolin, who was born in Ethiopia, was living in Montreal. His lawyer said he had an Italian passport.