WINONA, Minn. — The family of a missing Winona woman is asking the community to gather and pray in hopes she will soon be found.
Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old Mayo clinical researcher and mother of two, has been unaccounted for since the morning of March 31 after dropping her young daughter and son off at daycare. Law enforcement call the disappearance suspicious and say they are gravely concerned for Maddi's welfare.
In the days since large-scale searches have been conducted in remote sections of Winona and Fillmore Counties by both law enforcement and volunteers, with no trace of Maddi.
Her family has been steadfast in their hopes Madeline will be found alive, and on Friday announced a community gathering and prayer service set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5 at the Veterans Memorial Park bandshell in Winona.
"The support from this community and beyond has been simply incredible, so let's all come together in prayer and be the shining light that helps guide Maddi home," an electronic invitation to the gathering reads.
An event page for the gathering will be created in coming days.
Law enforcement officials have said little about Madeline's case, declining to comment on leads or potential suspects. They have asked residents of Winona and eastern Fillmore Counties to search their acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything unusual. On April 26 Winona police asked property owners to pay special attention to old wells from before 1925, old homesteads, windmills and sinkholes.
They also asked anyone who is willing to have their property searched by volunteers to place a a sign with a blue check mark in a place that is easily visible.
Volunteers will conduct a search of the old Girl Scout Camp in Houston County on Saturday, April 29 at 10 a.m. If you'd like to help there is more information on the Finding Madeline Kingsbury Facebook page.
Maddi's family is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to her whereabouts.
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