Adam Fravel stands for the beginning of his sentencing hearing at the Winona County Courthouse in Winona, Minn., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Saskia Hatvany/Winona Daily News via AP, Pool)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KFGO/CBS Minnesota) – The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed the conviction against Adam Fravel, who killed Madeline Kingsbury in 2023 and was sentenced to life in prison.
Fravel, 32, was found guilty of first-degree domestic abuse murder, first-degree premeditated murder, second-degree intentional murder and second-degree felony murder after a weekslong trial in the fall of 2024.
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole, which is the mandatory sentence for first-degree premeditated murder.
Kingsbury, who was Fravel’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his children, disappeared in March 2023 after dropping her two children off at daycare in Winona, Minnesota. Her body was found in a field near Mabel — about an hour away from her home — in June of that year.
Fravel filed an appeal with the state Supreme Court, arguing that there were several errors during his trial, and that there wasn’t enough evidence to prove the required intent of three of his four murder charges. Court filings say he wanted those guilty verdicts to be vacated.
The Supreme Court ruled that the “alleged errors cumulatively did not deprive Fravel the right to a fair trial,” and said he wasn’t entitled to a new trial.
Additionally, the court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to “prove Fravel’s premeditation, intent to cause Kingsbury’s death, and extreme indifference to human life.”
The Madeline Kingsbury Foundation, which was created after her death to raise awareness of domestic violence, said “Justice for Madeline has once again prevailed.”
“We cannot fully express our gratitude to all of those who have walked this journey with us — to everyone who has stood beside us, followed along, and supported Maddi’s loved ones, thank you,” their online statement reads.
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