Prosecution in Adam Fravel’s trial rests after 10 days of testimonies

By Olivia Estright | Post Bulletin

After nearly two weeks of testimonies from the state’s witnesses, the prosecution in Adam Fravel’s trial rested on Thursday, Oct. 31.

Fravel is the Winona man accused of killing Madeline Kingsbury, the mother of his two children. He is on trial for first-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder.

Throughout the state’s case, 68 witnesses — including law enforcement, Kingsbury’s family, and her friends — have taken the stand. The defense will make its case on Friday, with closing arguments scheduled for Monday, Nov. 4.

On Thursday morning, Winona Police Department Sgt. Adam Brommerich, the lead investigator on the case of Kingsbury’s disappearance, was recalled to the stand as the final witness.

Phillip Prokopowicz, a special prosecutor with Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension who is handling the case, questioned Brommerich first about the pillowcases and sheets recovered in the case.

Kingsbury was reported missing on March 31, 2023. An investigator found Kingsbury’s body along a remote road near Minnesota Highway 43 in Mabel around 1:30 p.m. on June 7, 2023. Her body was wrapped in gray sheets, which were similar to the ones found in their home. Brommerich testified that he collected the gray pillowcases from Kingsbury and Fravel’s Winona residence.

Prokopowicz displayed two photos of care labels found on gray sheets, which defense attorney Zachary Bauer objected to. The photo on the left was of the care label from the sheets that Kingsbury’s body was found in while the photo on the right was of a care label on a pillowcase from their residence.

The care label on the sheets, though faded, matched the care label on the pillowcase.

Prokopowicz began entering dozens of photos of surveillance video clips and overview maps as Brommerich confirmed the locations. Surveillance videos captured Kingsbury’s van driven by Fravel on March 31, 2023, as it traveled down to Choice, Minnesota.

A 20-minute video compiled by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension pieced together a timeline of the surveillance videos showing the van, text messages and phone activity on Fravel and Kingsbury’s phones. Winona County District Judge Nancy Buytendorp reminded jurors that the computer-generated video should not be received as facts. Brommerich said the BCA created the video to “highlight the key facts” in a timeline of March 31, 2023.

“We were looking for video along the route that was provided by Adam Fravel,” Brommerich testified.

Here’s an overview of the timeline presented in court:

The video began at 8:01 a.m. on March 31, 2023, as Fravel and Kingsbury drove together to drop their children off at a day care on Sioux Street. Four minutes later, surveillance footage from inside the day care depicted Fravel wearing a white jacket, black pants and white shoes. Kingsbury entered the day care soon after wearing a white and tan plaid jacket. In Prokopowicz’s opening statements, he said this was the last known footage taken of Kingsbury.

At 8:10 a.m., Fravel and Kingsbury arrived at their Kerry Drive residence. Three minutes later, the activity tracker on Madeline Kingsbury’s phone stopped and never started again, the video said.

At 8:14 a.m., there was an Apple Cash transfer from Kingsbury’s phone to Fravel’s account. Her phone was placed into lock status two minutes later and stayed locked until April 1, 2023, when the battery died.

At 8:35 a.m., the van was parked to face the Kerry Drive residence, according to surveillance footage from a storage facility across the street with a camera facing the residence. At 9:44 a.m., an individual wearing a white coat was crouching in front of the van in the driveway. Minutes later, the subject was seen walking toward the back of the van.

At 10 a.m., the van was seen at a Kwik Trip. Fravel was pumping gas in the van, and according to the Kwik Trip surveillance footage, the license plates had been changed. The license plates now on the van belonged to a different vehicle registered to Fravel.

At 10:29 a.m., Fravel texted Kingsbury. The van was then backed into the Kerry Drive residence’s driveway. Fravel texted Kingsbury again saying, “You just gonna stay home?”

From 11:26 a.m. to noon, the BCA video then depicted different surveillance footage of Fravel driving the van from Winona southbound to Rushford, Minnesota.

Brommerich testified that there was no video south of 28901 Highway 43, which was the farthest surveillance footage captured of Fravel driving the van. From noon until 12:44 p.m., there was no video captured of Fravel.

The BCA added the locations of the Christmas Barn near Choice, which Fravel told police is where he turned around. Kingsbury’s body was recovered near the area.

At 12:44 p.m., Fravel was seen driving northbound on Highway 43. At 1:15 p.m., the van was seen turning toward the Kerry Drive residence. At 1:28 p.m., the van was seen parked in the driveway.

Fravel proceeded to text Kingsbury’s phone at 1:33 p.m. The text said, “Ummm I’m back and my car is still here? You get a ride or somethin?” Fravel texted Kingsbury five more times that evening.

At 4:21 p.m., Fravel picked up their children from day care, wearing a white jacket and brown boots.

The defense began its cross-examination of Brommerich, questioning the timing of the surveillance videos.

“Law enforcement is taught that when they see evidence, they gather evidence, correct?” Bauer asked Brommerich.

Bauer continued to ask about how law enforcement collects evidence and whether Brommerich checked whether there was any surveillance farther south. Brommerich responded that he didn’t personally travel that far south.

Bauer continued to question Brommerich about the surveillance footage and displayed photos of overview maps around Choice and Mabel, Minnesota. He then questioned the search parties for Kingsbury and the role of Preble Town Hall. Brommerich said the town hall was a hub for search parties in the case.

Bauer then displayed photos of texts between Fravel and Kingsbury in February and early March 2023.

“I’m pretty sure I want to be done but we can chat about it and decide on some permanent or temporary forms of birth control from there,” Kingsbury texted Fravel on Feb. 9, 2023. Other texts showed Fravel and Kingsbury planned to look for new places to live in March 2023.

Brommerich was questioned again by the state, with Prokopowicz asking about Preble Town Hall.

Court was adjourned before 3 p.m. Bauer said the defense plans to call five witnesses to the stand Friday morning. He did not say whether Fravel plans to take the stand.

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