Grand jury indicts father of Madeline Kingsbury’s children with first-degree murder charges in her death

By Amy Simonson and Emma Tucker, CNN

(CNN) — A Minnesota grand jury has indicted the father of Madeline Kingsbury’s two children with first-degree murder in her death and accused him of engaging in a pattern of domestic abuse, roughly four months after her remains were found near a highway.

Adam Fravel, 29, was charged with four criminal counts on Monday, including first-degree murder with premeditation; first-degree murder with a past pattern of domestic abuse; intentional second-degree murder without premeditation; and unintentional second-degree murder while committing a felony, according to the indictment filed in Winona County district court.

CNN reached out to Fravel’s attorney for comment. Fravel has previously denied any involvement in Kingsbury’s disappearance.

Kingsbury was last seen alive on March 31, when she did not show up to work or answer calls from family and friends, police have said. The 26-year-old mother also did not pick her children up from daycare that afternoon, police said, calling the behavior “extremely out of character for her.”

In April, police said evidence suggested her disappearance was “involuntary and suspicious,” adding investigators “remain extremely concerned for her safety.” The search for Kingsbury drew nearly 2,000 people in the first week, including volunteers, first responders and members of the fire department.

On June 7, roughly two months after she went missing, Kingsbury’s body was found in some brush off Highway 43 in neighboring Fillmore County, police said.

That same day, Fravel was arrested “without incident” on a second-degree murder charge, police said.

Monday’s indictment accuses Fravel of killing Kingsbury while he was subjecting her to domestic abuse and said her death occurred “under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to human life.”

The grand jury examined 31 witnesses, the indictment says.

Winona County District Court Judge Nancy Buytendorp raised Fravel’s bail to $3 million with no conditions or $2 million with conditions, Kyle Christopherson, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Judicial Branch, told CNN Tuesday.

Fravel is scheduled to appear in court again on December 14.

The Winona County Health and Human Services Department took custody of Kingsbury’s children after she went missing, according to court documents obtained by CNN.

A judge ruled in April the children would remain in county custody rather than be released to their father.

Fravel did not have custodial rights to the children, ages 5 and 2, before Kingsbury disappeared, court documents show.

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CNN’s Joe Sutton contributed to this report.