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Adam Fravel indicted on charges of first-degree premeditated murder

A grand jury decided there was enough evidence to charge Fravel with planning and killing his estranged girlfriend Maddie Kingsbury on March 31, 2023.

WINONA, Minn. — The stakes have been raised for Adam Fravel, after he was indicted on charges of premeditated first-degree murder in the death of his estranged girlfriend Maddie Kingsbury in March. 

Court documents filed Monday, Oct. 2 confirm that grand jury members indicted Fravel on four criminal counts: First-degree murder with premeditation, first-degree murder with a past pattern of domestic abuse, intentional second-degree murder without premeditation, and unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony. 

Fravel will appear in Winona County District Court on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. on the newest charges against him. 

The grand jury indictment is significant as Fravel will receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder. The previous charge of second-degree murder carries with it a maximum recommended sentence of 21.75 to 30.5 years for someone with no criminal history, meaning he would have the possibility of being released and resuming his life outside of prison walls. Prosecutors did indicate before the grand jury indicted Fravel that they would seek an aggravated sentence of 40 years behind bars. 

Adam Fravel was arrested and charged with murdering Kingbury, the mother of his two children, following her high-profile disappearance in late March. The case captured the interest and hearts of people across Minnesota and the country, who invested their time and money in the search effort.

Fravel was the last person seen with Madeline as the two of them dropped the children off at daycare the morning of March 31. He claimed that she then left their shared apartment to do errands and never returned, but more than two months later, Fravel was arrested after a deputy discovered Maddie's remains just a few miles from Fravel's childhood family home.  

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