WINONA, Minnesota – The case of Adam Fravel, a Winona man accused of killing Madeline Kingsbury, has been moved from Winona County to Blue Earth County.
“After careful consideration, the Court concludes that Blue Earth County is best positioned to provide the impartiality required for a fair trial and is well suited to take on this case in Winona County,” court documents filed Wednesday, August 21, said.
A jury trial for Fravel, 30, will take place on October 7 at the Blue Earth County Justice Center.
Fravel’s lawyers said at a venue change hearing in April that he was not guaranteed a fair trial because of the publicity surrounding Kingsbury’s death.
During the hearing, the Winona County Sheriff’s Office emergency management coordinator said that about 1,900 people participated in a search on April 8, 2023, and another 700 the next day.
Fravel’s attorney pointed out that these numbers alone represent more than 7% of Winona’s population.
Fravel, 30, was arrested on June 9, 2023, for the death of Kingsbury, the mother of his two children, after her body was found near Mabel following a months-long search. He was initially charged with two counts of second-degree murder.
After his arrest, a grand jury was convened and recommended charges of first-degree premeditated murder and domestic violence, as Fravel had a history of repeated domestic violence, and a charge of first-degree premeditated murder, Sonneman said.
Fravel was the last person to see Kingsbury alive, and police have suspected that Fravel drove to Mabel’s area in Kingsbury’s vehicle, along with other evidence, such as matching duct tape and sheets, found on her body and in the couple’s shared home. Kingsbury is also accused of breaking off an abusive relationship with Fravel, who admitted to an obsession with Gabby Petito, a woman who was killed by her fiancé in 2021.
