Overview
- A jury was seated and opening statements were delivered Thursday in Essex County, New York, as the criminal trial of Luciano Frattolin began.
- Prosecutors played the 911 call, cellphone-location history, a three-hour police-cruiser recording and interrogation and body-camera footage to show inconsistencies in Frattolin’s account and to link him to the scene where the child’s body was found in July 2025.
- The prosecution says Frattolin changed clothes during the day and that his discarded clothing and shoes were recovered near the shallow pond where the nine-year-old was found.
- Defense lawyers argued police overlooked signs of an abduction, said language barriers and a past head injury help explain inconsistent statements, and said investigators drew premature conclusions.
- Frattolin has pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail since his July 2025 arrest, the child’s mother is listed as a potential witness, and the case highlights how digital location data and recorded interviews can shape a cross-border murder trial.