Prosecution to seek aggravated sentence, attempt to add evidence of abuse to court proceedings in Fravel case
Adam Fravel (Credit: Winona County Sheriff’s Office)
(ABC 6 News) – Documents filed Friday indicate that the prosecution in Adam Fravel’s case plans to seek aggravated sentencing, as well as present evidence of a history of abuse, in the death of Madeline Kingsbury.
Fravel already faces a 1st-degree murder charge, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of lifetime imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
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On Friday, Nov. 17, the prosecuting attorney filed a notice that the State plans to seek an aggravated, or harsher-than-usual, sentence based on the State’s belief that the victim was “treated with particular cruelty for which the offender should be held responsible.”
The documents also state that concealing a body may, in and of itself, be considered an aggravating factor.
Kingsbury’s body was located on a rural road in Mable, Minn., and according to the notice, was wrapped in a sheet, partially covered by a culvert, and obscured with wooden debris.
The notice cites the several months needed to find Kingsbury’s body, which resulted in significant decomposition and thus limited friends and family’s ability to view her body or hold a remembrance ceremony.
Law enforcement also believes the murder occurred in Kingsbury’s home, according to the notice–possibly in Kingsbury’s bedroom, where she would have had an expectation of privacy — another potential aggravating factor, per documents.
Additionally, the State filed a notice that the prosecution intends to call upon several witnesses who may testify that Fravel domestically abused and was violent toward Madeline Kingsbury.
The list of witnesses includes several members of the Kingsbury and Naber families.
Fravel’s next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2023.