Attorneys give opening statements in murder trial of Minnesota man accused of killing his girlfriend

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Attorneys delivered opening statements on Thursday in the high-profile murder trial of the former boyfriend of a Minnesota woman whose body was found hidden in a rural area of the state in 2023.

Adam Fravel, 30, is on trial for first-degree murder. He was arrested in June 2023, days after deputies found the body of Madeline Kingsbury in a wooded area a few miles away from a property owned by Fravel’s parents. Police found Kingsbury’s body in a gray fitted bed sheet that had been closed with black Gorilla tape. A medical examiner concluded she likely died of asphyxiation. The 26-year-old Kingsbury vanished in March 2023, after dropping off her and Fravel’s two young children at day care in Winona, a southeastern Minnesota town of about 26,000 residents.

Kingsbury’s disappearance garnered national attention and thousands of people joined in the search for her. A judge granted a request from Fravel’s attorneys to have the case moved out of Winona, where many members of community helped search for Kingsbury. The trial will instead take place in Mankato, Minnesota, about 136 miles (219 kilometers) from Winona.

At the Blue Earth County District Court in Mankato, prosecutors and Fravel’s defense attorneys painted dueling portraits of the couple’s domestic life and the police investigation that led to Fravel’s arrest.

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Phil Prokopowicz, a special prosecutor handling the case for the Winona County Attorney’s Office, said Fravel killed Kingsbury after she attempted to leave him. He said Kingsbury was a successful working mother who had become frustrated with Fravel’s alleged abusive behavior and inadequate contributions to their family. Prokopowicz said the prosecution would call witnesses who saw Fravel hit Kingsbury and scream at her.

Prokopowicz revealed that Kingsbury met another man on a dating app, which prompted her to end her relationship with Fravel, KARE-TV reported. He added that Kingsbury took steps to terminate her lease where she lived with Fravel, and that she had found a townhouse where she and the children were to move.

Zach Bauer, Fravel’s attorney, said investigators ignored evidence that pointed to his client’s innocence. He said he would challenge the prosecution’s version of how and where the body was found, and who may have had access to the remote site a few miles away from a property owned by Fravel’s parents.

Police said they investigated hundreds of tips and that digital evidence, including phone and computer records, helped lead to the discovery of the body.

Responding to allegations of domestic abuse, Bauer said the couple had normal disagreements. He plans to show jurors text messages from Kingsbury to her sister saying she was going to marry Fravel. Kingsbury and Fravel eventually agreed to separate but were doing so in a cooperative manner, he added.

Attorneys argued before a full courtroom Thursday. Fravel wore a gray suit and glasses as Kingsbury’s family, community members and journalists looked on, KIMT-TV reported.