Prosecutors to seek aggravated sentence in Adam Fravel’s murder case

(ABC 6 News) – Winona County prosecutors have filed a notice of intent to seek aggravated sentencing in the case against Adam Fravel; the man charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of Madeline Kingsbury.

In their filing, prosecutors outlined their reasoning for seeking an aggravated sentence, citing the fact Madeline’s body appeared to have been concealed. They base their argument on the fact that Madeline was found in an isolated area, wrapped in a sheet, partially encapsulated by a culvert, and appeared to have been covered by wooden debris.

They cite findings from a previous Minnesota Supreme Court ruling, State v. Hicks, which found that “the concealment of a homicide victim’s body, in of itself, may be an aggravating factor under sentencing guidelines”.

If convicted, the judge will consider several factors to determine Fravel’s sentence, including his previous criminal record, arguments from both the defense and prosecutors and statewide sentencing guidelines.

The statutory maximum sentence for second-degree murder in Minnesota is 40 years.

Fravel, 29, is scheduled to appear in court on July 20^th.

He’s accused of killing the mother of his children, Madeline Kingsbury, who went missing on March 31^st.

On June 7^th, after weeks of searches, Madeline’s body was found in a remote area north of Mabel, Minnesota on a property prosecutors say was regularly maintained by Fravel’s relatives.

Hours later, Fravel was arrested and booked into the Winona County Jail.

Madeline’s father and stepmother now have temporary legal custody of Madeline’s children. A family court will decide who gets permanent custody on a later date, but a Winona County judge has repeatedly suggested those proceedings should take place once Fravel’s criminal trial concludes.