WINONA, Minn. — Friday marks 15 days since Winona resident and mother of two Madeline Kingsbury was last seen or heard from, a disappearance that has her family, friends and law enforcement both baffled and concerned as they try to find her.
KARE 11's Lou Raguse sat down for a wide-ranging Zoom interview with Megan Kingsbury, the older sister and "best friend" of the 26-year-old Madeline, best known as Maddi. Megan has been the face and voice of the Kingsbury family, appearing at police press conferences and conducting interviews.
During the interview Megan talked about Maddi's years growing up in Farmington, how she decided to attend school in Winona and fell in love with the community and decided to make it her home.
Megan says her sister and the father of Madeline's two children, Adam Fravel, were no longer in a relationship and that Maddi was looking for another place to live. Megan wanted Madeline to move to the Twin Cities so they could be closer, but Maddi wanted the children to have frequent contact with their father. She believes there were plans to co-parent.
The last time the two communicated was March 31, when Maddi messaged Megan with a reaction to a funny vacation photo she had sent the night before. That was at 8:15 a.m., and Megan says it was the last time she heard from Maddi. At 6 p.m. that night her mother called, expressing concern that she couldn't reach Madeline. Megan tried to contact her sister repeatedly, and when she couldn't she contacted some of Maddi's friends around 7 p.m., who also expressed concerned.
"There were definitely alarm bells going off, because it was so unlike her," Megan explained.
Megan would not comment on the status of the investigation or Fravel's comments released through his attorney earlier this week insisting he was not involved in her disappearance, and has been facing a "myriad of accusations" about his possible involvement.
"I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely. I want that more than anything," Fravel said in a released statement.
As for her 5-year-old niece and 2-year-old nephew, Megan Kingsbury says she has seen them and the kids are in "a safe place."
On Wednesday Winona police posted an update, saying more than 100 law enforcement and public safety personnel conducted "targeted searches" at locations in Winona and Fillmore Counties on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The department says it is receiving dozens of tips in the case each day through CrimeStoppers, and is running down every one.
Megan told Raguse that authorities have not told the family anything specific about the status of those searches, but said volunteers will go out this weekend, some on horseback.
"Of course we're hopeful that we're gonna find her," Megan reflected. "It's not so much a question of if, it's when, it's really hard the longer it goes on, two weeks, but the hope is obviously still there. It's just a struggle to keep positivity about it sometimes."
Anyone who wants to help search, or keep up with the latest on Madeline's disappearance can follow the Find Madeline Kingsbury Facebook page, or the one operated by Winona PD.
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