Father of Kingsbury children in court seeking placement

(ABC 6 News) – Newly obtained court documents are shedding light on the Madeline Kingsbury case as the 26-year-old’s parents and the father of her kids both fighting for placement of the kids.

The court battle is to determine if the children are in need of protection or services (CHIPS), given the fact that their custodial mother is missing.

In order for either party to be granted custody between Fravel and the Kingsbury’s, they must file a permanency action in court, according to Rebecca Church, the assistant prosecutor with Winona County.

Currently, Winona County is seeking to have the children adjudicated for child protection services.

According to Church, the investigation into Maddi’s disappearance concerning Fravel’s possible role will have no influence in this child protection case.

“There is a firewall in our office with the criminal team and we don’t have access to that,” Church explained.

A decision is expected to be made at the next court appearance on June 6.

Kingsbury vanished back on March 31 after dropping her kids off at daycare.

Their father, Adam Fravel, was with her and was the last person to see her before she disappeared.
Law enforcement has labeled the disappearance involuntary and suspicious.

New court documents reveal Kingsbury’s parents have their own suspicions that Fravel knows more than he’s letting on.

Currently, the kids are in the the custody of Winona County, but have been temporarily placed with Madeline’s parents.

David and Cathy Kingsbury want to keep it that way, saying they have a close relationship with the children.

They also say in the days following Madeline’s disappearance Fravel wouldn’t let them see the kids.

A two-year-old boy and five-year-old girl have been wondering for nearly two months where there mother is.

In a petition filed with juvenile court, the Kingsbury’s say they “have significant concerns” with Fravel, adding that they believe “Fravel knows more about the disappearance than he’s letting on.”

They also note that following the disappearance, Fravel was “withholding the children from their family.”

Madeline had sole custody of both children, but Fravel took the kids after she disappeared in March.

On April 4th, the county intervened to take protective custody of the kids.

Court documents say Fravel and his family became non-cooperative and wouldn’t allow social workers access to the children. At one point locking himself inside his parents house with one child, shouting expletives.

Eventually Fravel turned the children over but was unwilling to gather their belongings leaving them with only the clothes they were wearing.

Since then, Winona County has temporarily placed the children in the care of Madeline’s parents, but the county still remains in control.

Adam Fravel denies any involvement with Kingsbury’s disappearance and law enforcement has never named him a suspect or a person of interest.

Church says there has been nothing filed in regards to the investigation into Maddi’s disappearance in terms of any suspect or possible prosecution at this time.

Fravel’s attorney did not return our call for comment.