TICONDEROGA — Residents of an upstate New York town gathered Tuesday night to shed tears and light candles for a nine-year-old Montreal girl whose body was found in their community over the weekend.
Scores of people in Ticonderoga gathered at a local park for an emotional tribute to nine-year-old Melina Frattolin.
As "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" played softly from a speaker, people lit each other's candles, wiped away tears and bowed their heads as a prayer was read.
The young girl was found dead in a shallow pond on Sunday in an alleged homicide. Preliminary autopsy results released Tuesday found she died from asphyxia due to drowning.
Her 45-year-old father has been charged with second-degree murder and the concealment of a human corpse. Luciano Frattolin, a Montreal resident, has pleaded not guilty.
Ticonderoga resident Bridgette Cruz, who organized the vigil, said her heart is shattered for Melina's mother and loved ones.
“She was supposed to be taken care of, and I can’t fathom as a mother the pain that she’s enduring in her heart, and the suffering," she said ahead of the vigil. "It truly is a tragedy, not just for this town but two nations.”
She says the little girl would forever be a part of the community, even if she didn't live there.
“This little girl was not from here but we’re going to love her like she was from Ticonderoga," Cruz said.
Matthew Courtright, president and CEO of the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce, said the whole community had been affected by the death.
"In the face of tragedy, in the face of issues, we always come together," he said. "People step up and we support each other."
At the vigil, a bouquet of flowers and a small stuffed animal were set on a table. Next to it sat two pieces of artwork, with a message in a child's handwriting that read, "RIP Melina. You were loved by a lot of people."
As the sun set across the park, illuminating the open spaces and a bubbling waterfall, many of the vigil attendees expressed incomprehension at how a father could allegedly have killed his child.
"Hearing about the father, it’s devastating," said Annette Hurlburt. "I have a nine-year old nephew and I can’t imagine this happening to him."
She said many residents of the town received an Amber Alert when Melina went missing, and had hoped for her safe return.
Hurlburt said her message was to encourage anyone who is struggling to seek help before it's too late. "If you are in a situation and you need to seek help, so tragedies like this don’t happen, I would recommend getting help," she said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.
Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press
