Prosecution team. Sonneman paraded her staff at a news conference in the Courtoiuse steps to to announced charges against Adam Fravel. Leading the team is former Dakota County prosecutor Phillip Prokopowicz. Sonneman brought him out of retirement for the case. Also on the team: Veteran Winona County assistant county attorneys Christina Galewski and Kevin O’Laughlin. On an easel is a portrait of Maddi Kingsbury.
Sonnemen confident of Fravel conviction
WINONA, Minn. – The Winona County attorney, Karin Sonneman, said she chose to charge second-degree murder against Adam Fravel because she was confident the charges would be sustained in a trial. It’s possible, she said, to modify the charges as final stages progress in the investigation of the strangulation death of Maddi Kingsbury in March. Sonneman explained she decided against first-degree murder for the time being. Under Minnesota law, first-degree murder requires a grand jury indictment, which can be a lengthy process, she noted. She said she wanted to go with the evidence that is on hand. These are the counts against Fravel:
> Second-degree murder with intent but not premeditated.
> Second-degree murder without intent while committing a felony.
First-degree murder carries more severe penalties. a second-degree conviction could keep Fravel in prison until he’s 49 to 69 years old. First-degree murder carries a life term. Although 27 sates have capital punishment, Minnesota does not.
Verbatim
Sonneman: “We have heard from so many individuals how wonderful a person Maddy was. She had a bright future and Mr. Fravel took that from her. By charging him today with her murder, we intend to hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Capital punishment profile
Between 1860 and 1906, Minnesota executed 27 people by hanging. After the botched execution of murderer William Williams in 1906, public opinion in the state shifted against the death penalty. In 1911, the Legislature ended the death penalty.