A grandmother from New York is grappling with the grim reality she believes is tied to the murderer, Luciano Fratlin. She feels a deep sense of anguish, particularly over the tragic fate of Fratlin’s nine-year-old daughter, Melina.
“This really troubles me,” Rebecca Kulickowski expressed, referring to a “skinny, tall man” she encountered around the same time and place associated with Melina’s death in Ticonderoga on Saturday.
“I can’t shake off that moment. I keep asking myself, why didn’t I stop?” she said, pondering whether it could have changed the outcome. “If we had intervened, maybe she would still be alive.”
Kulickowski recalled driving toward Lake Syrone when she noticed a Toyota Prius parked along the road.
“As I drove past, I spotted a thin, tall man that caught my eye,” she recounted. “He was running up the hill near where his car was parked, and there was a wooded area nearby,” she added.
“Something just felt off about him. I can’t quite explain it, but I sensed he noticed me,” she said, lingering on that uncomfortable feeling.
The following day, Kulickowski learned about the Amber Alert concerning little Melina and immediately reached out to law enforcement.
“When I heard the alert, I was in disbelief. I can’t even begin to describe my feelings in that moment. It was horrifying,” she admitted.
The alert was triggered by a claim from a father about his daughter being lured, but authorities later suggested it was a hoax. Tragically, Melina’s body was discovered the next day, pinned under logs at Eagle Lake, close to where Kulickowski noticed the suspicious individual.
Fratlin, who had custody of Melina during the week, was charged with two counts of murder and concealing a body on Monday.
He allegedly strangled his daughter within an hour after having a conversation with her mother.
Fratlin was taken into custody early Monday morning and later appeared in court, pleading not guilty. He is expected to appear in court again on Friday.
