MANKATO, Minn. – The fate of Adam Fravelthe 30-year-old southeastern Minnesota man charged in the death of a 26-year-old Madeline Kingsburyis now in the hands of a jury.
Both the state and defense delivered closing arguments Wednesday in a Mankato courtroom in the Fravel case charged with first-degree and second-degree murder.
The jury ended its first day of deliberations without a verdict and reconvened Thursday morning.
Carlo Hohnstadt
Kingsbury went missing in March 2023 after dropping off the two children she shared with Fravel at a daycare center in Winona. Fravel denied any involvement in her disappearance, but was arrested two days later her remains were found near his family’s property in the town of Mabel, near the Iowa border.
That was an important point of attention in the process moved to Blue Earth County after a successful petition by Fravel’s attorneys seeking juror impartialitywere allegations of domestic violence committed by Fravel during their seven-year relationship.
Kingsbury’s relatives testified that she accused him of strangling her in front of their children in 2021, and Kingsbury’s boyfriend told inquests that they witnessed Fravel hitting her during a video call.
WC
Part of the defense’s closing arguments claimed that no signs of any struggle were visible in the home Fravel and Kingsbury shared. During the trial, his team also requested the removal of certain pieces of evidence, including photographs of passages from her diary.
The prosecution claimed there was proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Fravel was responsible for Kingsbury’s death and that he had planned it, citing his alleged “obsession” with the murder of Gabby Petito and Kingsbury’s budding relationship with an old college friend.
Fravel faces a possible life sentence.
Domestic Violence Resources: For anonymous, confidential help, people can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224.
