WINONA, Minn. — A criminal complaint filed in Winona County Wednesday details the evidence prosecutors will lean on to try to prove their case against Adam Fravel, who is now charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the death of his ex-partner Madeline Kingsbury.
Fravel made his first appearance in Winona County Court on the charges Friday morning. Bail was set at $1 million with conditions, which include attending all future court appearances, staying alcohol and chemical free and not contacting Maddi's family.
Court documents say Maddi, who shared two children with Fravel, was found in a remote wooded area just north of the town of Mabel wrapped in what appeared to be a gray-colored fitted bed sheet and closed off with black Gorilla Tape. An autopsy said a knotted towel was wrapped around her neck and head.
In the complaint, prosecutors say that a roll of Gorilla Tape of the same color and width was observed in the Kingsbury/Fravel residence during a search. The complaint also notes that an air mattress from the residence had pillows with gray cases, but no matching fitted sheet.
Witnesses told investigators about multiple incidents where Fravel was allegedly physical with Maddi. One family member told authorities she learned Fravel had placed his hands around Kingsbury's neck. That person went to see Maddi and says she and another person saw a red mark on the side of her neck that day.
A friend of Madeline's told investigators about a video call with her back in 2020 or 2021 where Kingsbury was cooking and holding on to one of the children. The friend says Fravel, not knowing Maddi was on the phone, entered the room and yelled at her to keep quiet. Maddi allegedly told him to calm down, at which point Fravel allegedly struck her in the face. The witness says he learned the incident was captured on a live call when she screamed at him over the phone.
The friend told investigators that she noticed bruises on Madeline during several video calls, and said when she asked about them Kingsbury would cover them with her sweater.
As part of their investigation, police accessed iPhones owned by Maddi and collected texts and conversations between her and Fravel. In one Kingsbury says she is "not really OK with or over the fact that you put your hand around my neck and pushed me down in front of the kids earlier, so don't."
A text response allegedly from Fravel says "You'll adjust."
The complaint also details what the defendant told investigators during questioning about his and Maddi's relationship, how it was not working and that she had recently been seeing someone else.
Police say Fravel told them he once made a statement to Maddi that if she "didn't listen up, she would end up like Gabby Petito" (a young woman killed by her fiance), claiming he was making a joke. Fravel admitted to being infatuated with the Gabby Petito case.
Video evidence gathered by detectives shows a person thought to be Fravel switching the license plates on Maddi's van before pulling out of the driveway on the day of her disappearance. Investigators say the plates put on the vehicle were the ones from the car Fravel usually drives.
Prosecutors say Maddi's van was spotted driving south on Highway 43 towards Mabel and the location where Maddi was found, and then driving back north to the residence. Investigators drove the same route and found there was a 45-minute gap in Fravel's timeline. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Fravel used that 45 minutes to dispose of Maddi's body.
Adam Fravel's next court appearance is set for July 20 at 1:45 p.m. via Zoom. If found guilty, he faces a potential 40-year sentence on each of two murder counts.
Here are resources people can use if they are experiencing domestic violence or know someone who is:
- National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
- Day One Crisis Hotline: 1-866-223-1111
- Violence Free Minnesota: https://www.vfmn.org/get-help
- Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs Resource Guide: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/help-for-crime-victims/Pages/resource-list-victims.aspx
- Minnesota Attorney General’s Office Domestic Violence Resources: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/consumer/Publications/DomesticAbuse.asp
- Minnesota Secretary of State Safety Resources Page: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/safe-at-home/resources-for-safety/minnesota-safety-resources/
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