WINONA, Minn. (KTTC) – The legal battle in the murder of Madeline Kingsbury continues as multiple pretrial motions were filed Friday.
Madeline Kingsbury first went missing March 31 until the grim discovery of her remains north of Mabel on June 7. Kingsbury’s ex-boyfriend and father of her two children, Adam Fravel, is being charged for her murder.
In a letter to Winona County Judge Nancy Buytendorp and Winona County Attorney Karin Sonneman, Fravel’s lawyer Zachary Bauer motioned to dismiss the charge of first-degree murder premeditated. Bauer wrote the motion is on the grounds that the evidence admitted before the grand jury was not sufficient to establish the charge.
Bauer came to this conclusion after reviewing the grand jury transcript.
“Jurors were not presented sufficient evidence as to premeditation to establish the offense,” Bauer wrote.
A motion for a change of venue was also filed Friday. The motion references extensive media coverage, a three-part series by KTTC, newspaper articles, a “Justice for Maddi” float sponsored by the Winona County Sheriff’s Office, and the overwhelming number of people that participated in the search for Kingsbury.
“There is reasonable likelihood that a fair trial for Mr. Fravel cannot be accomplished in Winona County,” Bauer wrote.
KTTC was the only media outlet mentioned by name in the motion. Bauer listed 59 articles published by KTTC, dating back to April 1, 2023, the day authorities asked for the public’s help in locating Madeline Kingsbury. They also mentioned the three-episode series titled “Finding Madeline” where KTTC interviews family and friends of Kingsbury and Fravel.
KTTC is still reviewing all motions filed Friday. This article will be updated with more details. Stay with KTTC as we continue to follow this story.
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