Accusations Against Luciano Fratlin in Daughter’s Death
Luciano Fratlin, the father accused of murdering his 9-year-old daughter, Melina, appears to have been struggling financially. Despite sharing a seemingly lavish lifestyle on social media, he reportedly faced significant financial obligations, including child support payments amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The 45-year-old Canadian coffee entrepreneur was charged with murder during a trip to upstate New York. Since 2020, he has been renting a place in Enclave, a trendy area in Mile Enclave. According to court documents, he hired two real estate managers to help manage his business so that he could meet his child support obligations, including overdue rent payments.
However, troubles escalated when his landlord ended his lease in August 2024, citing $26,000 in missed rent. Fratlin claimed he had been denied access to the property, leaving him unable to retrieve his daughter’s winter clothing and toys.
He is now suing the property managers for over $115,000, alleging they mismanaged the property without his consent and failed to pay rent.
In addition to his businesses, which included two cafes and an Airbnb rental, Fratlin stated in court that he intended to fulfill his child support obligations. Yet, his manager accused him of planning to drain his bank account and leave the country.
An employee at Dépanneur Café mentioned that Fratlin had previously owned the establishment and still owed approximately $83,000 to the Bank of Nova Scotia. Meanwhile, he had another $97,000 in unpaid credit card debt linked to Café Gambella, which bears the same name as his online coffee business, Gambella Coffee.
During his arrest at a courthouse in Ticonderoga, Fratlin claimed he couldn’t afford a lawyer and requested a public defender. His Instagram, however, tells a contrasting story, showcasing luxurious trips and high-end cars, with captions boasting his love for Porsches.
The custody agreement with his ex-wife allowed Fratlin to take Melina on trips to Connecticut and New York in 2019. According to statements from New York State Police, Melina seemed well during a call with her mother around 6:30 PM. But by 7:40 PM, Fratlin reported her missing, alleging that two men had kidnapped her in a white van, as noted by the Albany Times Union.
Tragically, authorities later discovered Melina’s body near a log in shallow water close to the New York-Vermont border. Consequently, Fratlin faces charges of second-degree murder and concealing a human corpse, with a court date set for July 25th.
