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Blue Earth County trial set for Adam Fravel on Oct. 7

Adam Fravel will be put on trial in Mankato starting Oct. 7, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

The Winona County murder case will move to the Blue Earth County Justice Center.







Karin Sonneman at courthouse press conference 6/9

Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman speaks about the case against Adam Fravel during a press conference June 9, 2023. 


Jacob Shafer



Fravel is accused of killing the mother of his two children, Winona resident Madeline Kingsbury.

A motion to move the trial out of Winona County was granted in June by Judge Nancy Buytendorp because of concerns about the high level of media coverage related to the case and the impact it could have on a jury pool.

Fravel’s defense team hired a research firm that found that of 100 people surveyed in Winona County, 89 had read, seen or heard news about Kingsbury’s disappearance. Sixty-six respondents had formed opinions about who was responsible for Kingsbury’s death.

Only one of those 66 people did not believe that Fravel caused Kingsbury’s death, the report found.

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The number of people involved in mass searches for Kingsbury after her disappearance was also cited as possibly tainting the jury pool, as well as the high interest in the case on social media.

“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,” Buytendorp stated in the court document Wednesday.

Pretrial appearances for the case are still scheduled for Sept. 3 and 4 in Winona County.

Fravel faces four charges related to Kingsbury’s death, including murder in the first degree while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, murder in the first degree premeditated, murder in the second degree and murder in the second degree without intent while committing a felony.

Fravel has been in Winona County Jail since June 7, 2023. The body of Kingsbury, who went missing on March 31, 2023, was found that day in a rural culvert north of Mabel.

Fravel’s bail is set at $2 million with conditions and $3 million without conditions.


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