A man from Minnesota was found guilty on Thursday for the murder of his girlfriend, Madeline Kingsbury, whose disappearance in 2023 sparked a nationwide search effort before her body was discovered hidden in a rural area of the state.
Adam Fravel, 30, was convicted of first-degree murder less than a day after the jury began deliberations. Kingsbury, 26, went missing in March 2023 after dropping off their two children at day care in Winona, Minnesota.
The trial focused on different accounts of the couple’s relationship and the police investigation that led to Fravel’s arrest.
Prosecutor Phil Prokopowicz presented testimony from family and friends alleging instances of domestic abuse, while Fravel’s attorney, Zach Bauer, argued that the investigation and prosecution were flawed.
Witnesses described seeing bruises on Kingsbury and recounted incidents of violence. The jury reached its verdict in front of a packed courtroom, with emotional reactions from both families.
Prosecutors claimed that Fravel killed Kingsbury after she decided to leave him due to his abusive behavior and lack of support for their family.
Police found Kingsbury’s body wrapped in a bedsheet and strangled with a towel, matching items found in their home. The medical examiner determined she likely died from asphyxiation.
Fravel’s defense argued there was no evidence of a struggle in the home and questioned the prosecution’s portrayal of a history of abuse.
The trial took place in Mankato, Minnesota, after a request from Fravel’s legal team to move the case from Winona.
Fravel is scheduled to be sentenced on December 17.
