Madeline Kingsbury case: What to know about the trial of Adam Fravel
MANKATO, Minn. (FOX 9) - The trial of Adam Fravel, who is accused of killing his ex-partner Madeline Kingsbury in 2023, is set to begin with jury selection in Blue Earth County on Monday.
Here’s everything you need to know as the trial gets underway.
Background
Fravel is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kingsbury, whose body was found in June 2023 in Fillmore County after a months-long search in southern Minnesota. He was arrested hours after the discovery and charged two days later, on June 9, 2023.
Kingsbury was reported missing on March 31, 2023. At the time of her disappearance, Fravel, who was her ex-partner and the father of her children, was believed to be the last person to see her alive.
On that day, Kingsbury and Fravel dropped their children off at daycare and returned home. Fravel says he left the home around 10 a.m. in a dark van, and when he came back, she was gone.
According to police, a van similar to Kingsbury's had been driven on County Road 12 and Highway 43 in Winona County and southbound on Highway 43 into Fillmore County. In the following weeks, volunteers and law enforcement agencies conducted widespread searches along the route.
READ MORE: Madeline Kingsbury: Timeline of her disappearance and death investigation
Despite ongoing efforts by law enforcement and hundreds of volunteers, Kingsbury's body wasn't recovered until June 7. A Fillmore County deputy discovered the body along a remote stretch of Highway 43, just north of Mabel, Minnesota – where Fravel's family lives. Fravel was arrested shortly after the body was discovered.
Search warrants in the case alleged abuse by Fravel that Kingsbury had reported to friends and family, allegedly warning others that if something terrible happened to her, Fravel would be the one responsible. The documents also detail the disintegration of Kingsbury and Fravel's relationship, including allegations of abuse by Fravel that Kingsbury had confided to her friends.
When she disappeared, Kingsbury and Fravel were in the midst of a breakup, with Kingsbury telling Fravel to move out. The day Kingsbury disappeared was the first time Fravel hadn't spent the night at their shared residence. Kingsbury was also preparing to move to a new place in Winona, according to court records.
How long will the trial be?
The trial will take place at the Blue Earth County Justice Center in Mankato and is expected to last at least three weeks.
Jury selection begins the morning of Oct. 7 and is slated to last a couple of days. Then, each side will make its opening statement.
Venue change
In August, Fravel’s defense team successfully petitioned Winona County Judge Nancy Buytendorp to move the trial out of the county – a move said to further ensure an unbiased jury.
A court filing by Judge Buytendorp says that, "after careful consideration, the court finds that Blue Earth County is best positioned to ensure the impartiality required for a fair trial and is well-suited to accommodate this Winona County case."
Judge Buytendorp previously granted Fravel's motion to change the trial venue, citing pre-trial publicity and community involvement in the case as reasons to move it out of Winona County, according to court documents.
In briefings filed in May, Fravel's legal team said it commissioned a survey that showed the vast majority of Winona County residents (89%) were aware of the case. Of that group, 74% had "formed an opinion that [Fravel] caused the death of Madeline Kingsbury."
"Considering the extensive pretrial publicity and the substantial involvement of the Winona community in this case, a change of venue is warranted. The Defendant's motion for such a change is hereby granted," Buytendrop wrote in her motion. "It is evident to this court that a fair trial cannot be ensured within this county."
In response, the prosecution has pointed to the decision in the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd – which was not moved out of Hennepin County.
Order on courtroom decorum
Fravel's defense team filed a motion seeking an order to prohibit courtroom spectators and witnesses from wearing certain displays during the trial.
Last week, Judge Buytendorp granted the motion, stating that courtroom spectators and witnesses are "prohibited from wearing displays such as clothing, ribbons, bracelets, and/or buttons which reference the alleged victim, violence against women, ‘Justice for Maddi’, or which might otherwise elicit an emotive response from jurors."
In court filings, Judge Buytendorp cites the court's duty to protect Fravel's right to a fair trial, and ensure that spectator conduct doesn't impair that right, as one of the reasons for the decision.
Another reason that is mentioned in the court document is the "significant" public interest in the case through "volunteer searches, numerous media and public coverage, and the creation of social media groups and forums discussing the case."
The court filing goes on to say the involvement of the community has resulted in "blue items" being displayed at homes and businesses around town and the creation of various items that state "Justice for Maddi" and that campaign against gender-based violence.
Judge Buytendorp says these items in the courtroom could be "highly prejudicial" to Fravel during trial, and could "compromise the jury's impartiality" and "threaten" Fravel's right to a fair trial.
Witnesses sequestered
Another motion was also filed last week by Fravel's defense team, this time arguing to sequester the witnesses. Judge Buytendorp granted the motion, meaning that witnesses will be sequestered from the courtroom during the entirety of the trial until they testify.
According to the court filing, witnesses will also be sequestered from accessing any audio, visual or print coverage for the entirety of the trial.
The reasoning behind the sequestration is to remove "any possibility that a witness waiting to testify may be influenced consciously or subconsciously by the testimony of other witnesses," court documents read.
Courtroom camera request denied
FOX 9's request to be able to have a camera in the courtroom during Fravel's trial was denied in September by Judge Buytendorp.
According to court documents, the request was denied due to Kingsbury's family wanting privacy during the trial.
Judge Buytendorp did acknowledge that cameras in the court adds transparency to the judicial process. The order also stated that the court would facilitate media access by allowing the media in the courtroom and/or setting up a media room at the courthouse with ITV for viewing the trial.
The order continues to say if the family changes their position and ultimately does ask for camera coverage of the trial, the court will evaluate the camera requests and make a decision.