ELIZABETHTOWN — A Montreal man accused of killing his 9-year-old daughter has pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of concealment of a human corpse.

Luciano Frattolin, 45, was in Essex County Court in Elizabethtown on Wednesday morning for an arraignment on the two charges, which he is facing after his daughter, Melina, was found dead on July 20 in Ticonderoga in a remote pond along Route 74.

Frattolin initially told the Warren County Sheriff’s Department his daughter was abducted by two men in a white van on July 19 at Exit 22 of the Adirondack Northway in Lake George after he stopped alongside the road. He said the van then sped south on the interstate, which triggered a massive search by multiple agencies and an Amber Alert was issued within hours.

However, Frattolin’s story quickly began to unravel, police said, and its many inconsistencies made them believe he might have been involved in her death. The Amber Alert was canceled after her body was found in Ticonderoga.

State Police revealed Melina’s cause of death was asphyxia due to drowning and was ruled a homicide.

According to court documents, Frattolin is accused of concealing his daughter’s body by placing it in a “wooded area in water, near a fallen tree with a rock on top of the corpse with the intent to prevent its production, use or discovery.”

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Court appearance

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Wednesday’s appearance was the first time Frattolin was in court since his case was moved to the grand jury last week. He was represented by Essex County public defender Emily Evatt on Wednesday.

Acting District Attorney Michael Langey and Assistant District Attorney Carrie Daly were prosecuting the case.

Langey asked Essex County Court Judge Tatiana Coffinger that Frattolin continue to be remanded to Essex County Jail without bail and deemed him a “flight risk.”

In his reasoning, Langey said Frattolin, facing a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison for the second-degree murder charge, has “no ties to the United States” and has both an Italian and an Ethiopian passport. Langey said Frattolin also has dual citizenship in Italy and Ethiopia, as well as an international driver’s license for Ethiopia and Canada.

Frattolin additionally claimed residences in Ethiopia and Canada and has businesses listed in both countries, Langey said.

“It is the people’s opinion that no amount of (set) money would ensure that he would return,” he said. “Given his lack of ties, dual citizenship in Italy, in Ethiopia and also the fact of the maximum sentence … of life here. He has no ties to our state. He has no ties to the United States and I believe he is a flight risk, and he should be remanded without bail.”

Langey said Frattolin additionally made it known he had a $5 million bid on a property in Montreal and showed the Realtor a $30 million bank account.

“So if you do set an amount, I’d ask that it be very high, judge,” he said.

In his defense, Evatt said Frattolin had no criminal history and had plans to stay at a friend’s apartment in New York City if he was granted bail. Evatt said he would also give up his passports and attend every scheduled court appearance.

“He maintains his innocence,” she said.

While Coffinger acknowledged Frattolin’s lack of criminal history, she said she would be “hard pressed” to ignore the severity of the charges that are pending against him and remanded him to Essex County Jail as his case continues to move through the court system.

“I find that remand to the correctional facility is the only way to guarantee his attendance here in court, because of the transient nature of these allegations of his citizenship, and really, his ties to this area, I can’t guarantee his return,” Coffinger said.

Frattolin is due back in court for a compliance conference at 3 p.m. on Aug. 19.