WINONA, Minn. — Adam Fravel was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to life in prison without the possibility of parole Murder in 2023 of 26-year-old Madeline Kingsburythe mother of his two young children.
Before Fravel, 30, heard his sentence, Kingsbury’s family delivered emotional victim impact statements in a Winona County courtroom, where the proceedings were filmed and livestreamed. at the insistence of her family.
Kingsbury’s family played a crucial role in both the investigation into her disappearance and the subsequent murder case, along with her parents. Krista Hultgren and David Kingsbury – witnesses about the domestic violence their daughter suffered at Fravel’s hands toward the end of their seven-year relationship.
Madeline Kingsbury’s sister, Megan Kingsbury, also reached hundreds of thousands with her TikTok posts during the ordeal that began on March 31, 2023.
On Tuesday morning, the Facebook group Finding Madeline Kingsbury – which has been sharing updates and information about the case, as well as posting messages from Madeline Kingsbury’s family – posted this message:
“Today we enter the final chapter of our journey for justice for Maddi. Although we will never get our Maddi back, today is the day of the sentencing of the person responsible for her murder. It’s hard to find the right words to describe the bittersweet reality we face every day since the sentencing – it’s more than just a loss; it is a mix of sadness, relief and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for each of you who have stood behind Maddi throughout this entire process.”
Kingsbury’s parents told CBS News this spring that their daughter was working as a clinical research coordinator at the Mayo Clinic at the time of her disappearance, in addition to being a graduate student at the University of Minnesota.
Madeline Kingsbury’s mother: “I will never understand why Adam took Madeline’s life.”
Krista Hultgren, Madeling Kingsbury’s mother, was the first to read her impact statement Tuesday afternoon.
“The defendant could have stopped, but he didn’t. He could have treated Madeline as the extraordinary person she was, but he didn’t. He could have given Maddi and the children a good life, but he didn’t.” , she says. said.
She recalled that Madeline Kingsbury was celebrating her daughter’s fifth birthday just days before her disappearance.
“Madeline posted a photo of her daughter enjoying birthday cake on her fifth birthday on March 26, 2023. We were all there,” Hultgren said. “How sickening that just a few days later Madeline was gone and Noah had only just stopped breastfeeding and was barely two years old. I’ll never forget that gut feeling or the pit in my stomach.”
Hultgren went on to say that since her daughter’s disappearance, she has been unable to work due to the physical and mental stress she has endured.
“The defendant’s sentence is far from satisfactory. It doesn’t bring me joy, it doesn’t ease my pain and suffering,” she said. “However, a life sentence is just. He will have to live without his children, his family, his friends, his comforts, he will have to live with what he did. And I pray that he will feel the burden of that for life.”
Madeline Kingsbury’s stepsister: “Maddi was a very caring and attentive sister”
Holly Waterston, Madeline Kingsbury’s stepsister, spoke next.
“Our lives will forever be defined in terms of before Maddi’s disappearance and after. None of us will ever be the same people we were before this horrific nightmare began,” she said.
Waterston described Madeline Kingsbury as “very caring and thoughtful” and said she welcomed her and her other sister, Heather, with open arms.
“Maddi brought a tremendous amount of light and laughter into our lives, backyard games, pool parties at Grandpa Goi’s house and family gatherings will never be the same,” Waterston said.
She went on to talk about the pain she experiences when she has to explain to her own children what happened to their aunt, but also to Madeline Kingsbury’s children, her niece and nephew.
“Nothing prepared me to try to comfort my nephew, who will never be able to hear or hug his mother again, because there is, in fact, a real monster who killed his mother,” Waterston said.
Waterston called Fravel’s actions “disgusting, sickening and exceptionally cruel” before asking for the mandatory maximum sentence.
Madeline Kingsbury’s father: few things are as ‘hard to bear as the death of your child’
Madeline Kingsbury’s father, David Kingsbury, spoke of the anger and “heartbreaking sadness” he has experienced.
“There are really no words that can adequately describe the impact this has had,” he said.
David Kingsbury and his wife took in Madeline Kingsbury’s children after a custody battle with Fravel – before his arrest.
“She would send me messages and it would always say on my phone that it was from the world’s biggest kid,” David Kingsbury said. “She was truly the apple of my eye and always will be.”
Megan Kingsbury describes the pain of losing her sister
Madeline Kingsbury’s sister, Megan Kingsbury, gave her testimony after her father. She described learning about her sister’s death after searching for her for months.
“I will always remember falling to the ground and I will always remember the absolute feeling of emptiness in the days and weeks that followed,” she said.
She recalled accompanying her father to the funeral home where Madeline Kingsbury would be created.
“I watched my father collapse under her and say how sorry he was over and over as he sang ‘You Are My Sunshine’ to her for the last time,” said Megan Kingsbury. “How can I tell you what it was like to be with her to the end and escort her to the incinerator because we refused to leave her alone anymore.”
Megan Kingsbury says she has since started trauma therapy and has been diagnosed with PTSD.
“Madeline will be remembered forever and her children will know who their mother is and was,” she said.
Stepmother says Madeline Kingsbury had a “truly beautiful” soul
Madeline Kingsbury’s stepmother, Cathy Kingsbury, spoke next. She talked about the first night she and her husband, Madeline Kingsbury’s father, took her stepdaughter’s children into their home.
“In the middle of the night, Ellie started crying: ‘I want mommy.’ Noah heard her and started wailing, “Mommy, mommy.” I ran to their bed to comfort them, trying my best to hold back my tears and fear for them,” she said. “It was a horrific night that no one should ever have to experience in their lives.”
Cathy Kingsbury described Madeline Kingsbury as a mother who loved her children more than anything.
“Maddi was without a doubt one of the most genuinely beautiful souls I have ever known in my life,” she said. “I’m grateful for the time I had with her and that I was able to love her. I couldn’t have loved Maddi more if she had been my biological child, this funky little ghost of a girl had my heart from the very beginning start.”
Cathy Kingsbury says she and David Kingsbury have worked hard to ensure Madeline Kingsbury’s children are happy and prosperous despite the tragedy.
“All of us in Maddi’s immediate family, her extended family and her friends will ensure that the children will grow up knowing their mother’s love.”
Steven Kingsbury: His sister was a ‘gift’ to the world around her
The final statement from Madeline Kingsbury’s family on Tuesday afternoon was from her brother, Steven Kingsbury, read by a victims coordinator.
The murder of Madeline Kingsbury left a multi-generational wound that may never heal, he said.
“Madeline had everything to look forward to: a promising career path and the joy of seeing her children grow up. Maybe even seeing grandchildren of their own one day,” said Steven Kingsbury. “There are truly no limits to how much of a gift she was and would have been to those who loved her, those she loved and the world around her.”
CBS News’ 48 Hours has also been following this case since Kingsbury disappeared.
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.
