What’s New
A Minnesota man faces a life sentence for killing his girlfriend and mother of their children in 2023.
A jury found Adam Fravel, 30, of Mabel, guilty of the first-degree murder of Madeline Kingsbury in November.
Why It Matters
Kingsbury’s initial 2023 disappearance drew national attention and prompted thousands of volunteers to join the search for her.
However, days later, police discovered her body wrapped in a gray fitted bedsheet sealed with black Gorilla tape.
What to Know
Kingsbury was first reported missing after dropping off her and Fravel’s two young children at a day care in Winona, a southeastern Minnesota city of 26,000 residents.
Her body was later found in a culvert along a gravel road, just miles from property owned by Fravel’s parents.
Fravel was arrested in June 2023, shortly after deputies found Kingsbury’s body.
The trial was moved to Mankato, about 136 miles west of Winona, because of extensive pretrial publicity.
During the trial, prosecutor Phil Prokopowicz said that Kingsbury had been strangled with a towel and likely died of asphyxiation, according to the medical examiner’s findings.
The towel, bedsheet and tape matched items found in their Winona home, Prokopowicz said during the trial.
Prosecutors said that Kingsbury had been planning to leave Fravel for another man after growing frustrated with his alleged abusive behavior and lack of support for their family.
In response, Fravel killed her, Prokopowicz told the court.
Witnesses said they had seen bruises on Kingsbury’s neck, and one witness described a video call in which Fravel allegedly struck Kingsbury.
Another friend testified that Kingsbury told her Fravel had warned Kingsbury that she could end up like Gabby Petito, a woman who was killed by her boyfriend in a high-profile 2021 case.
What People Are Saying
Prokopowicz outlined his closing statement: “The relationship was never about them,” he said of Kingsbury and their shared children. “It was always about him.”
Fravel did not testify in his own defense.
Fravel’s attorney Zach Bauer, said in his closing argument that the case against Fravel relied on: “tunnel vision, revisionist history and secret truths.” He said that there was no sign of any physical struggle inside the couple’s home. He also pointed to testimony from a neighbor who claimed to have never heard the couple argue.
What Happens Next
Fravel will be sentenced on Tuesday, in Winona by District Judge Nancy Buytendorp.
Premeditated first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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