Lawyers have made their opening arguments in the trial of a man accused of killing his nine-year-old daughter in 2025 during a trip to New York.

Luciano Frattolin is charged with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse in the death of Melina Frattolin.

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Frattolin has pleaded not guilty to both charges and has been held without bail since his arrest in July 2025.

New York State Police said they found inconsistencies in the 45-year-old’s account after he reported his daughter had been abducted.

The body of the nine-year-old girl who lived with her mother in Montreal was discovered in a wooded area near Ticonderoga, N.Y.

The girl’s mother is among the witnesses expected to testify.

The defence is arguing police ignored evidence after Frattolin reported that his daughter had been abducted.