Kingsburys, Adam Fravel custody battle continues after murder trial
(ABC 6 News) – Madeline Kingsbury’s parents are fighting their daughter’s killer in family court.
In December of 2024, Adam Fravel was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Winona woman Madeline Kingsbury, with whom he had two children.
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Fravel filed a motion to appeal his conviction and sentence in mid-January of 2025.
In late January, David and Cathy Kingsbury, Madeline’s parents, filed to terminate Fravel’s parental rights, claiming that he had failed to fulfil parental duties such as providing the children with food, shelter, clothing, and the like.
“Respondent is palpably unfit to be a party to the parent and child relationship because of a consistent pattern of specific conduct before the children, or of specific conditions directly relating to the parent and child relationship, to be of a duration and nature that renders him unable, for the reasonably forseeable future, to care appropriately for the ongoing physical, mental, or emotional needs of the children,” court documents state.
The Kingsburys have had temporary custody of the children, now aged 4 and 6, since April 2023.
Madeline Kingsbury went missing in March 2023. Her body was located June of that year, in a remote stretch of wood north of Mabel.
In mid to late 2023, Adam Fravel’s parents — the children’s paternal grandparents — sought visitation rights after Fravel had been charged with Madeline’s murder, but before the jury trial.
The Kingsbury grandparents wish to adopt the children, according to court documents.
Cathy Kingsbury told ABC 6 News that Fravel has continued claiming innocence, and he prefers “that his brother or sister have the kids.”
The matter is scheduled for a pretrial hearing in Winona County Court April 7, followed by a court trial April 21-22.