An autopsy has found that a nine-year-old girl allegedly killed by her father was drowned. 

The preliminary findings of the autopsy, which were released on Tuesday by New York State Police, found she died by asphyxia due to drowning and her death was a homicide. 

The results will have to be confirmed by further laboratory testing.

This is a breaking news story. An earlier version of this story is below. 

A community in Upstate New York will gather on Tuesday night to honour the life of nine-year-old Melina Frattolin who was allegedly killed by her father over the weekend.

Melina's body was found in the shallow water of a pond on Sunday in Ticonderoga, N.Y., about 50 kilometres east of Lake George, near the New York-Vermont border.

Her father, 45-year-old Montrealer Luciano Frattolin, was charged on Monday with second-degree murder and concealment of a human corpse. 

Bridgette Cruz, a Ticonderoga resident and the organizer of tonight's vigil, says everyone in the small community is shaken.

"Not only in America, Canadians as well," she said. 

Cruz explained that she was holding the vigil to honour a young life lost, highlighting that everyone was grieving as parents, individuals and countries.

"These are your people. These might not be our people, but she is going to be one of us now since this is her eternal soul's resting place," she said. 

Frattolin had first reported his daughter's disappearance to local police at around 10 p.m. on Saturday while they were travelling in the United States. An Amber Alert was triggered. 

He told police that he'd left his car to urinate in a wooded area and that his daughter was gone when he returned. He reported a white van fleeing the scene southbound. In a subsequent interview, he mentioned two unknown men who forced Melina into the white van. 

New York State Police confirmed Monday that the father had "fabricated the initial report of the abduction." 

Frattolin appeared at the Ticonderoga town court on Monday. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf at his arraignment, according to court officials. 

The vigil for Melina will take place at Percy Thompson Centennial Park in Ticonderoga at 8 p.m. and will include a prayer ceremony, music, a candle lighting and a speech. 

"We're going to celebrate her. We don't know her, but we're going to celebrate her life tonight," said Cruz.

"I feel like we kind of need a little closure here in this town for her. And she needs it."