WINONA, MINNESOTA: A Minnesota man who is suspected of killing the mother of his two children is facing legal stakes after he was indicted on even more serious charges by a grand jury in relation to the slaying of his 26-year-old estranged girlfriend, Post Bulletin reports.
Authorities announced on Monday, October 2, that a grand jury in Winona County indicted Adam Taylor Fravel, 29, on two counts of premeditated first-degree murder with a past pattern of domestic abuse and two counts of second-degree murder in the slaying of Madeline Kingsbury.
When was Adam Taylor Fravel arrested?
Fravel had initially been arrested in June and charged with one count of second-degree murder with intent but not premeditated and one count of second-degree murder without intent during the commission of a felony.
Now, as Fravel faces more serious charges, it means that if he gets convicted, he will serve a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Any person facing a potential life sentence must be indicted by a grand jury under Minnesota state law.
When did Madeline Kingsbury disappear?
Kingsbury allegedly disappeared at around 8 am on March 31 after dropping off her children, aged two and five, at a day care along with Fravel. The suspect told the authorities that after dropping off the children, they returned to their shared apartment and Kingsbury then left to run errands but never returned.
Her remains were discovered on June 7 by a sheriff’s deputy between Choice and Mabel, Minnesota, on a property maintained by one of Fravel’s family members.
The victim's body was covered in a sheet and black Gorilla tape that matched items found in their home. The discovery of Kingsbury’s body came on the same day that Fravel was taken into custody.
Fravel threatened Madeline Kingsbury that 'she would end up like Gabby Petito'
According to the complaint, a concerned person told law enforcement that Fravel once told Kingsbury, “If she did not listen up, she would end up like Gabby Petito.”
Petito was a 22-year-old New York woman who was murdered by her boyfriend in Wyoming while the two were on a cross-country van trip in the summer of 2021.
The woman died of strangulation and her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, went missing after returning to his family’s home in North Port, Florida, without Petito.
His remains were later found in a swamp near his parents’ home. An autopsy report revealed he died by suicide in September 2021. Laundrie admitted to killing Petito in a letter found along with his body.
Adam Taylor Fravel admitted he was 'infatuated' with the Gabby Petito's case
As per the complaint, Fravel admitted he was “infatuated” with the Petito case but claimed he was making a joke when he made the remark to Kingsbury.
Prosecutors alleged in court documents that text messages and videos between Fravel and Kinsbury show that Fravel had previously physically abused her on numerous occasions.
“You know I’m not really okay with or over the fact that you put your hand around my neck and pushed me down in front of the kids earlier,” a text from Kingsbury reads. Fravel responded, “You’ll adjust.”
The complaint states that on the morning of March 31, a video recorded an individual wearing a light-colored jacket changing the front license plate on Kingsbury’s van in their driveway.
That license plate was registered to a vehicle driven by Fravel, the complaint states.
