MANKATO, Minn. – The murder trial of Adam Fravel began with culling a jury from a 158-person pool of Blue Earth County people picked from a rotating roster for jury duty. Jury selection is expected to take a week. Meanwhile, Fravel waits in jail for the trial itself to begin next week. He is accused in the 2023 slaying of Maddi Kingsbury. She and Fravel co-habitated with their two pre-school children in Winona, but the trial was relocated 140 miles away in Mankato to avoid hometown prejudice against Fravel. The potential Mankato jurors each was given a 13-page questionnaire about where they lived, their occupation, their hobbies, and their news consumption habits. The questionnaire also asks about their knowledge of the case. Judge Nancy Buytendorp questioned each potential juror, listening for things that might rule some out. Judicial rules also allow queries from attorneys on both sides. Fravel’s attorney can strike15 jurors from the case. The prosecution can strike nine. The goal is to select 12 jurors and five alternates.
