Adam Fravel is guilty of all four counts of murdering Madeline Kingsbury

MANKATO, Minn. — A jury has found Adam Fravel guilty of the murder of his ex-girlfriend Madeline Kingsbury, the Winona woman whose disappearance in late March 2023 sparked national interest and sparked a search involving more than 2,000 volunteers.

Fravel, 30, was charged with four counts of murder after Kingsbury's body was found in June in a culvert near a dirt road on Highway 43, a few miles from Fravel's parents' property. His trial began Oct. 7 and the jury deliberated for about 10 hours before reaching a verdict Thursday morning.

Fravel is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 17 at 1:45 p.m.

It took nearly a year and a half until Kingsbury's body was found on June 7th. Prosecutors say Fravel was jealous. Kingsbury planned to leave him for another man. Fravel was also financially dependent on Kingsbury, and the relationship appeared to have deteriorated after Kingsbury gave birth to the first of her two children.

Friends and family members of Kingsbury and Fravel were present at the sentencing, some fearing they would vomit or feel sick.

Fravel, dressed in a black suit, appeared to cry and wipe his face with a tissue as people filed into the courtroom. Both sides had tears in their eyes as Winona County District Court Judge Nancy Buytendorp announced the verdict.

Several of Fravel's family members sobbed after court was adjourned.

Fravel and Kingsbury had an on-again, off-again relationship for seven years before Kingsbury's disappearance. According to her friends and family, Kingsbury often complained that Fravel never helped around the house.