Minnesota police confirmed they found missing mom Madeline Kingsbury’s remains, which led to the arrest of her ex-boyfriend and father of her children on suspicion of murder Wednesday night.
Winona Police Chief Tom Williams said the remains were found in a wooded area off Highway 43 north of Mabel, Minnesota — about 45 miles south of where Kingsbury, 26, was last seen alive after dropping off her two kids at daycare with her ex, Adam Fravel, 29.
“This discovery is not what we were hoping for, but we’re glad we can bring Maddy home to her family,” Williams said in a press conference Thursday, where Kingsbury’s loved ones could be heard sobbing.
Police said a trove of digital evidence, including cell phone and computer records, led them to the site where the body was “covered and concealed,” bringing an end to the 69 day-long search for Kingsbury.
The Southern Minnesota Regional Medical Examiner’s Office is continuing the autopsy to confirm the cause of death, with Williams noting that the police had enough evidence to arrest Fravel on probable cause.
Fravel was arrested on Wednesday in Mabel without incident, more than two months after Kingsbury vanished on March 31 after seeing off her kids, ages 5 and 2.
Fravel, who previously insisted that he had nothing to do with his ex’s disappearance, told police he left their house at 10 a.m. and that Kingsbury wasn’t there when he returned, but her phone, wallet, and jacket were.
“I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely,” he said in his statement. “I want that more than anything.”
Kingsbury’s sister, Megan said she was relieved that police finally made an arrest, calling it a “silver lining” for the mourning family.
“The whirlwind is just starting all over again,” Megan said in a TikTok posted Wednesday. “We’re glad that he’s in custody and that he’s not walking around as a free man anymore.”
Kingsbury’s family is currently in the middle of a bitter custody battle over her two kids with Fravel, who had petitioned for the children to be with him after her disappearance.
The two kids are currently living with Kingsbury’s parents, although they are technically in the custody of Winona County.
Williams said that more information on the cause of death and the case against Fravel will be revealed once prosecutors bring forth the official charges against Fravel.
