MANKATO, Minn. — A jury in Blue Earth County has found Adam Fravel guilty on all counts in the 2023 murder of Maddie Kingsbury.
Fravel was charged with four counts of murder - two first-degree (premeditated, and with a pattern of domestic abuse) and two second-degree (intentional, and while in commission of a felony). Maddi was reported missing on March 31, 2023, after she and Fravel dropped their daughter and son off at daycare. Her remains were found weeks later on June 7, in a remote culvert near the community of Mabel, where Fravel's parents live.
Both counts of first-degree murder carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The official sentencing hearing is set for Dec. 17 back in Winona County where the faces were first charged.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse reports that the courtroom was packed for the verdict, and Fravel could be seen openly crying before jurors even entered the room. He noted that even though the trial was moved to Mankato due to pre-trial publicity, the entire investigative team from Winona County was on hand for the reading of the verdict.
The Fravel family left the courthouse without comment.
Kingsbury's family spoke with reporters outside the courthouse following the verdicts, thanking jurors, prosecutors and law enforcement for their dedication and tireless efforts in bringing her killer to justice.
"As for the verdict, we're glad of it," reflected Maddi's father David Kingsbury. "We're not going to get Madelon back, Fravel can't get punished enough. We've lost a daughter, mother, aunt, sister, her children are scarred... not just Illiana and Noah, but children in our extended family wonder why. His life is wasted, ruin and devastation to two families... there's no joy here, but we're glad at the results."
After listening to closing arguments Wednesday jurors deliberated for seven hours, resuming Thursday morning at 8 a.m. before announcing they had reached a verdict just before 10:45 a.m.
A medical examiner ruled that Kingsbury's cause of death was homicidal violence, and testified during the trial that she likely died of asphyxia due to a bathroom towel wrapped around her neck that covered her mouth and nose.
Kingsbury's family and friends sat on one side of the crowded courtroom during Wednesday's closing arguments with Fravel's family sitting behind him and his defense team.
During his closing, defense attorney Zach Bauer focused on what he described as “tunnel vision, revisionist history, and secret truths” that he says mar the state’s case. Prosecutors spent significant time drilling down on testimony from people about the troubled and deteriorating relationship between the defendant and Kingsbury, referencing testimony that included allegations of violence and manipulation.
After hours of deliberating Wednesday jurors returned to the courtroom with questions about premeditation and how that finding could impact other counts, a signal that the panel was getting close to a verdict.