(ABC 6 News) – Today, March 31, 2025, marks two years since Winona mother of two, Madeline Kingsbury, vanished without a trace.

Kingsbury, an employee at Rochester’s Mayo Clinic, is described by friends and family as nurturing, funny, kind and caring. ABC 6 News has spoken to her parents who say Kingsbury’s whole world revolved around her family, especially her son and daughter.

Throughout her murder trial, Kingsbury’s friends told the court there had been many instances of abuse at the hands of the father of her children and former partner, Adam Fravel. They say it was a relationship Kingsbury was leaving in hopes of a brighter future for her and her two children.

Kingsbury was last seen on March 31, 2023, with Fravel around 8 a.m. while dropping her kids off at a Winona daycare.

For 69 days, Kingsbury’s friends, family and thousands of volunteers scoured Winona and Fillmore counties looking for any trace of the 26-year-old.

That discovery ultimately ended on June 7, 2023 after law enforcement found Kingsbury’s remains near Highway 43 in Fillmore County. The very same day, police arrested Fravel.

The public would later learn Kingsbury’s body was just a few miles north of his parents’ home in Mabel, Minn.

RELATED: Adam Fravel trial: Timeline from Madeline Kingsbury’s disappearance to Mankato courthouse

On June 8, the remains were identified as the missing mother.

Two days after the discovery, Fravel was charged with two charges of 2nd degree murder: with and without intent.

Months later in Oct., a grand jury indicted Fravel for 1st degree murder. That same month, the Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office released Kingsbury’s autopsy reports, stating her cause of death was “homicidal violence.”

Then in Dec., unsealed investigative documents suggested that investigators suspected a financial motive of Kingsbury’s murder. The public would later learn at Fravel’s trial, that Kingsbury had ended the relationship months before she disappeared and Fravel was heavily dependent on her financially.

Fravel’s trial began the following year, in Oct. of 2025 in Blue Earth County, after his defense team requested a change of venue from Winona County due to the heavy media coverage in the case.

The jury handed down the verdict one month later, after weeks of testimony, and found Fravel guilty on all counts. That includes two counts of 1st degree murder and two counts of 2nd degree murder. It took the jury two days and ten hours of deliberations in the case.

On Dec. 17, a judge sentenced Fravel to life in prison without the possibility of release.

RELATED: Adam Fravel sentenced to life in prison, no parole for Madeline Kingsbury murder

During his sentencing, Kingsbury’s family took the stand to read victim impact statements to the courtroom.

“Sixty-nine days spent searching, desperately for her. Nights spent staring out into the darkness, wondering where she was. Wondering if she was alive or dead, and wondering if we would ever find her,” David Kingsbury, Madeline’s father, said. “Learning that her body had been wrapped in a sheet and stuffed into a culvert at the end of a road. Finally located because a sheriff’s deputy had seen an unusually large number of flies. Authoring my youngest child’s obituary. Telling my grandchildren they would never see their mommy again.”

Despite the heartfelt and emotional statements from Kingsbury’s family, Fravel pronounced his innocence.

“I never caused harm to Maddi, and I am innocent,” Fravel said.

Zach Bauer, Fravel’s defense attorney, told the judge that he intended to appeal the conviction.

That came months later in March of 2025, as Fravel officially appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Following Kingsbury’s death, her friends and family have worked to ensure her legacy lives on and can help other people struggling with domestic violence. They created the non-profit, the Madeline Kingsbury Foundation: Where Joy Trickles in.

RELATED: Madeline Kingsbury Foundation aims to combat domestic violence

If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the national domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233. The number will connect you 24/7 with professionals that can provide you the help you need.