Adam Fravel murder trial begins Monday: Timeline from Madeline Kingsbury’s disappearance to Mankato courthouse

By KAALTV

(ABC 6 News) — The trial of Adam Fravel, the man charged with murdering Madeline Kingsbury, is set to begin on Monday.

Ahead of the trial’s start, ABC 6 News compiled a full timeline of events from Kingsbury’s appearance in March 2023, up to where we stand now.

March 31, 2023: Madeline Kingsbury goes missing

Madeline Kingsbury first went missing on March 31 of last year. Kingsbury was last seen around 8 a.m. that day, dropping her kids off at daycare with Adam Fravel, the father of the children. She sent a last text message to her sister at 8:15 a.m.

April 1, 2023: Search warrant served at couple’s home

WPD issued a search warrant for Kingsbury and located her phone, laptop, and purse while also asking for the public’s help.

April 4, 2023: FCSO sets up property map for search

The Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office sets up a property map asking residents to assist in the search for Kingsbury. Individuals were asked to search acreage, wooded property, outbuildings, vehicles and trails for anything suspicious.

April 5, 2023: Police release new information; Kingsbury family offers $50k reward

The Kingsbury family offered a $50k reward as the search continued. Police revealed Kingsbury returned home after dropping the kids off at daycare, while Fravel left the home again in her van around 10 a.m.

Police added that a vehicle matching Kingsbury’s van was spotted on County Road 12 and Highway 43 in Winona County and on Highway 43 in eastern Fillmore County, then returned to Kingsbury’s home at around 1:30 p.m. March 31.

April 7, 2023: 1,800 people search for Kingsbury

A massive search effort is organized, and thousands search for Kingsbury over two days.

April 12, 2023: Fravel claims innocence in statement through attorney

Fravel, who would be arrested and charged with Kingsbury’s murder months later, released a statement.

“ I did not have anything to do with Maddi’s disappearance. I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely,” part of it read.

April 26, 2023: WPD issues new search request

Winona Police requested property owners in Winona and Fillmore counties report old wells from before 1925, old homesteads, and old windmills or windmill bases. The department also asked people to report sinkholes that are accessible by car.

May 5, 2023: Community holds prayer vigil

Hundreds spoke about Kingsbury at the ‘Shining a Light for Madeline’ community gathering and prayer service.

May 27, 2023: Volunteers search MN/WI shorelines of the Mississippi River

A few dozen volunteers continued the search for Kingsbury by looking along the MN/WI shorelines of the Mississippi River.

June 1, 2023: Family marks Kingsbury’s 27th birthday

Months into the search for Kingsbury with thousands of volunteers looking, there was still no sign of her. Her father marked her 27th birthday with a video on social media.

“Happy birthday, dear Madi. Happy birthday to you. We love you, Madi. Happy birthday,” sang David Kingsbury.

The Facebook group “Finding Madeline Kingsbury” coordinated another search along the banks of Mississippi River.

June 7, 2023: Human remains found near Hwy 43 in Fillmore County; Fravel arrested

Human remains were found near Hwy 43 in Fillmore County, and Fravel was arrested in Winona County on suspicion of second-degree murder. Fravel was taken into custody at 7:12 p.m.

June 8, 2023: Remains identified as Kingsbury

Autopsy results identified the human remains as Kingsbury. Chief Williams said Kingsbury’s body was found by a Fillmore County investigator on a remote stretch of road along Highway 43 in a wooded area north of Mabel.

June 9, 2023: Fravel charged with 2nd-degree murder

Adam Fravel appeared in Winona County Court on two charges of 2nd-degree murder–with and without intent.

June 12, 2023: Fravel moved to Olmsted County Adult Detention Center

Fravel was moved from the Winona County Jail to the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center (OCADC).

June 29, 2023: Kingsbury’s parents given custody of her kids

The parents of Madeline Kingsbury were granted temporary sole custody of her two children while Fravel was ordered to temporarily have no parenting time.

July 7, 2023: Prosecutors seek aggravated sentence in Fravel murder case

Winona County prosecutors filed a notice of intent to seek aggravated sentencing in the case against Fravel. In their filing, prosecutors outlined their reasoning for seeking an aggravated sentence, citing the fact that Madeline’s body appeared to have been concealed.

July 19, 2023: Fravel omnibus delayed

Adam Fravel’s omnibus hearing was delayed again without a rescheduling date. It would later be scheduled in 2024.

August 1, 2023: “If anything happens to me, know Adam did it”

Hundreds of pages of information shed a new light on the murder case against Fravel, including new details into the relationship between Fravel and Kingsbury.

Text messages revealed that Kingsbury had texted her friend Katie Kolka, the woman who reported Kingsbury missing on March 31, that Fravel had choked her.

The text message Kingsbury wrote to her friend says, “After he joked about me ending up like Gabby Petito if I don’t learn to ‘mind.’ It wasn’t funny.”

Another friend claimed Kingsbury visited her in the hospital a few weeks before she disappeared and told her, “if anything happens to me, know that Adam did it. I would never leave my kids.”

October 2, 2023: Fravel charges upgraded to 1st-degree murder

Winona County Attorney announced that a grand jury returned an indictment against Adam Fravel for first-degree murder.

October 5, 2023: Kingsbury autopsy results revealed

The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office released Madeline Kingsbury’s autopsy results. The report stated that Kingsbury’s cause of death was “homicidal violence.”

December 12, 2023: Search warrants suggest financial motivation in Kingsbury’s murder

Unsealed investigative documents suggested that investigators suspected a financial motive in the killing of Madeline Kingsbury.

December 14, 2023: Court eyes fall 2024 for trial start

Fravel appeared in Winona County Court to a default omnibus hearing, in which judge Nancy L. Buytendorp set an end-of-filing date and discuss the prospective trial timeline.

January 19, 2024: Fravel files to dismiss charges

Fravel’s defense submitted a motion to dismiss his 1st-degree murder charge.

March 19, 2024: Fravel omnibus hearing begins

Fravel omnibus hearing began with Winona County Court sealing several records.

April 30, 2024: Court considers moving trial out of Winona County

A Winona judge considered whether or not Adam Fravel could be fairly tried in Winona County. The defense argued there as a need to move the case out of Winona County due to worry about the ability of seating an impartial jury.

June 1, 2024: Candlelight vigil held for Kingsbury

A candlelight vigil was held at Levee Park in Winona to honor Kingsbury and raise awareness for domestic violence.

June 12, 2024: Trial moved out of Winona County

Judge Nancy L. Buytendorp approved Fravel’s defense motion to change the venue of his murder trial.

August 21, 2024: Trial set to take place in Blue Earth County

Fravel’s trial was officially moved to Blue Earth County. According to judge Nancy Buytendorp’s order filed Aug. 21, the trial is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM on October 7 at the Blue Earth County Justice Center, 401 Carver Road, Mankato.

September 3, 2024: Fravel pretrial begins

Fravel’s pretrial, taking place in Winona County, officially began with arguments about specific evidence of alleged domestic violence.

September 24, 2024: Motions, witness lists filed by state and defense

Motions and witness lists were filed by the State of Minnesota and Fravel’s defense ahead of the trial.

October 2, 2024: Judge rules on evidence of domestic violence to be used in trial

Shortly before the trial begins, Buytendorp ruled that while evidence about alleged domestic violence is generally admissible in court, some details must be omitted from testimony.

October 7, 2024: Trial begins

ABC 6 News will cover Adam Fravel’s murder trial from the Blue Earth County Courthouse. Stay tuned for daily updates.