MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — Jury selection begins Monday in the 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, has been charged with 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. 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. Police said they investigated hundreds of tips and that digital evidence, including phone and computer records, helped lead to the discovery of the body. Fravel continues to maintain his innocence.
Prosecutors expect jury selection to last several days. Opening arguments could begin as soon as Oct. 14 if the jury selection doesn’t take longer than expected. 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, about 136 miles (219 kilometers) from Winona.