WINONA, Minn. — The criminal complaint against Adam Fravel for the murder of Maddi Kingsbury portrays him as a domestic abuser. The portrayal is based mostly on second-hand information generated by police over 10 weeks of investigation into Maddi’s disappearance. One friend reported once being was on a video call with Maddy, who was at her Winona townhouse. Maddi was standing up, holding one of her children and cooking dinner. The friend reported seeing Adam enter the kitchen and yell at Maddi to keep quiet. Maddi asked him to calm down. He responded that he wouldn’t and struck Maddi in the face with his hand, the friend said. It appeared that Fravel was not aware he was being observed on the video call, the friend said. When the friend yelled at Fravel over the video, he immediately left the room, the friend said. The friend told investigators that there were several times during video calls that she observed bruises on Maddi’s face. When the friend inquired about the bruises, Madeline would cover them with her sweater.
Fravel. Holding one of his and Maddi’s kids. .
Phone video
Police found a message between Maddi and Adam in a September 2021 telephone exchange:
Maddi: “You know I’m not really OK with or over the fact that you put your hand around my neck and pushed me down in front of the kids earlier. So don’t. Not OK with it all but especially with them there.”
Fravel: “You’ll adjust.”
Maddi: “The fuck I will. You do that again without asking me and you can go somewhere else”
Fravel: “You got it, mother.”
Maddi: “Don’t patronize me. That crossed a line. Stop.”
A family report
A member of Maddi’s family member reported learning of an incident iun which Fravel put his hands around Maddi’s throat. The family member went with another person to go get Madeline. They noted Madeline had a red mark on the side of her neck
Documentation missing
The criminal complaint against Fravel shows no evidence that Maddi notified police or sought medical attention as an abuse victim nor contacted any independent abuse agencies or shelters.
Gabby Petito obsession
A friend of Maddi Kingsbury told police early in their investigation that Adam told Maddi that if she did not listen up that she would end up like Gabby Petito. It was a reference to a 22-year-old woman slain by her fiance in 2021 on a Wyoming vacation. The friend’s source for the threat to Maddi apparently was Maddi herself. The criminal complaint includes no further confirmation of the Petito case. The complaint notes, however, that police confronted Fravel and that he admitted being “infatuated” with massive news coverage of the Petito case. But did he threaten Maddi as the police source said he did? No, Fravel told police that he joking.