A Minnesota man is behind bars facing murder charges after police found a body Wednesday night identified as missing mother, Madeline Kingsbury.
On Friday, 29-year-old Adam Fravel appeared in Winona County District Court in Minnesota at 11 a.m. to face two second-degree murder charges. The court appearance comes after Fravel’s arrest on Wednesday evening.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said that Fravel’s wife, 26-year-old Kingsbury, was last seen on the morning of March 31 in Winona. Police said she failed to pick up her children from daycare, which, according to her family, was out of character. She also failed to reply to numerous calls and messages from loved ones.
Investigators believe Kingsbury returned to her home around 8:15 a.m. after bringing their children to daycare. Fravel told police that he left Kingsbury’s home at around 10 a.m. the morning in question and when he came back later that day, she was gone.
Fravel and Kingsbury lived together but they were no longer in a relationship, and Kingsbury was looking to move into a home when she disappeared, police said.
According to the criminal complaint, a deputy from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office searched a rural area located in Fillmore County, around a mile away from Highway 43, between Choice and Mabel, Minnesota, and found a human body Wednesday night, inside a trench connected to a gravel road.
The remains were wrapped in what appeared to be a gray fitted bed sheet, secured with black “Gorilla” tape.
Investigators discovered that the Fravel family regularly maintained this particular property, which is in close proximity to the defendant’s parents’ home.
Then, while searching Kingsbury’s home in Winona, investigators found a roll of black Gorilla tape that matched the color and width of the tape found on the fitted sheet used to wrap the body. The gray fitted sheet was similar to bedding found at the Winona residence, the criminal complaint read.
Prior to finding Kingsbury, police interviewed Fravel after friends said he threatened the victim and told her she would end up like Gabby Petito, a 22-year-old travel blogger found deceased in Wyoming after a feud with her boyfriend.
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“Law enforcement disclosed to Fravel a concerned person’s report that Fravel told Madeline that if she did not listen up, that she would end up like Gabby Petito,” the criminal complaint read. “Fravel admitted being “infatuated” with the Gabby Petito case. Fravel also admitted that he made a statement to Madeline about her ending up like Gabby Petito.”
“Fravel claimed he was trying to make a joke. The Gabby Petito case made national news. It was the story of a twenty-two year-old woman who went missing. After extensive searches, Petito’s remains were found near a park in Wyoming. It was reported Petito died of strangulation. The media also reported that Petito’s fianc [sic] claimed responsibility for her death in a notebook.”
Read the full criminal complaint below.
Fravel Criminal Complaint by Leigh Egan on Scribd
Fravel is expected to appear at this next court appearance, via Zoom, on July 20 at 1:45 p.m. He faces a possible sentence of 40 years in prison if found guilty of the charges.
Prosecutors said the investigation is active and ongoing. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Madeline Kingsbury & Adam Fravel]/Minnesota BCA]