MABEL, Minn. – About 50 volunteers gathered at the American Legion post in Mabel at 9 a.m. to join the search for Madeline Kingsbury, a 26-year-old Winona woman who disappeared mysteriously Friday. Armed with maps, the searchers set out for clues. Among them were two of Kingsbury’s sorority sisters from Winona State. Mabel is 44 miles from Winona at the southern end of a massive search area. Police have at least one report of a minivan like Kingbury’s on Friday on Highway 43, which connects Winona and Mabel. Mabel also is the hometown of Kingsbury’s fiancé, Adam Fravel. Among search areas out of Mabel Thursday was Big Woods campground west of town. The terrain around Mabel is difficult. Another obstacle was getting permission from absentee property owners to go on their land. More ‘boots on the ground were needed, one searcher told KIMT news reporter Sananda McCall: “We need hundreds of people to cover this ground. It takes like 100 people in one field just to do I think what they call ‘American Arms ‘and if you send two people out there it’s just not enough.” They planned to head out again Friday.
