Man Who Told Ex-Girlfriend She'd 'End Up Like Gabby Petito' Is Convicted of Murdering Her

Mar. 15, 2025

Madeline Kingsbury; Adam Fravel.Photo:Madeline Kingsbury/ Go fund me, Winona County Detention Center via AP

Madeline Kingsbury/ Go fund me, Winona County Detention Center via AP

Adam Fravel, 30, was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree murder on Thursday, Nov. 7 in connection with the death of 26-year-old Kingsbury, according to reports fromKSTP,KARE 11andThe Minnesota Star Tribune.

The verdict came 10 hours after a jury began deliberations following a month-long trial, theStar Tribunereports. According to the outlet, Fravel faces life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17.

Kingsbury went missing “under suspicious circumstances” on the morning of March 31, 2023, after dropping the pair’s two children off at daycare,PEOPLE previously reported.

At the time, Fravel denied any involvement in her disappearance. In a statement toABC News, he said, “I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely. I want that more than anything.”

Kingsbury’s remains were later foundon June 7 in a heavily wooded area off Highway 43 near Mabel, Minn., in Fillmore County. Fravel was arrested that same day “on probable cause” and charged two days later, authorities said.

KARE 11 reports that a medical examiner testified during the trial that Kingsbury likely died of asphyxia, referencing a towel that was wrapped around her neck and covered half of her face.

Acriminal complaintsaid that Fravel told police he and Kingsbury were newly separated and in theprocess of moving out of the Winona homethey shared with their children after seven years of an “on-and-off relationship.”

Madeline Kingsbury.Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

Friends and family who testified in court referenced an instance of domestic abuse in September 2021 when Fravel put his hand around Kingsbury’s neck and pushed her, theStar Tribunereports.

The defense argued there was no history of abuse and no indications of struggle at the crime scene, KTSP reports. Fravel’s attorney, Zachery Bauer, said he was “disappointed in the outcome,” referring to the verdict, per the outlet.

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Kingsbury’s loved ones spoke in court, with her father saying after the verdict that “It’s a pyrrhic victory,” according to theStar Tribune. “We’re not going to get Madeline back. Fravel can’t be punished enough.”

The victim’s brother, Steven, added, “At the end of the day, you have to trust the process. The truth kind of rises to the top and the evidence, it always comes out,” per KTSP.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com