Remains Of MN Mother Found, Father Of Her 2 Children Arrested

WINONA, MN – The body found in brush on a remote stretch of road off Highway 43 north of Mabel has been confirmed to be 26-year-old Madeline Kingsbury, Winona Police Chief Tom Williams said at a Thursday afternoon news conference.

Officials said a Fillmore County deputy found Kingsbury's remains around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. The area had previously been searched, but Kingsbury's body had been covered and went undetected, Williams said.

Digital evidence led the deputy to the area, which officials described as a wooded area off of a gravel road.

Police in Winona said they have arrested Adam Fravel, the father of Madeline Kingsbury's two children, in connection with her disappearance.

Fravel was arrested at a home in Mabel, officials said during Thursday's conference. Kingsbury's body was not found on property owned by the Fravel family or any Fravel relatives, officials added.

Williams said that no information would be made available at the moment about any charges Fravel may be facing.

"We are asking the community to respect the family’s privacy at this time and not to speculate on the case until further information is made available," police wrote in an earlier update.

Kingsbury hadn't been seen or heard from since dropping her kids off at daycare on the morning of March 31. She also did not show up for her job as a research coordinator at the Mayo Clinic.

Large search efforts for Kingsbury were organized, including a search made up of approximately 2,600 volunteers over Easter weekend. A public Facebook group was also created to aid the search for Kingsbury, and her family offered a $50,000 reward for information that lead to her location.

Law enforcement and first responder teams conducted ongoing daily targeted searches based on information generated by the investigation and on tips from the public. The teams conducted foot, aerial, and water searches using sonar, submersibles, and dog teams.

In the months following Kingsbury's disappearance, Fravel has defended himself against speculation that he was involved.

Megan Kingsbury, Madeline Kingsbury's sister, previously told KTTC that while Fravel has cooperated with investigators, he had not been involved with the family since Kingsbury disappeared.

In April, police called Kingsbury's disappearance "suspicious" and likely "involuntary."