WINONA, Minn. – The family of slain Winona mother Maddi Kingsbury asked the judge to allow televised news coverage of the sentencing of her murderer. It’s a dramatic if not odd reversal for the family, which demanded a closed trial of Adam Favel to protect its privacy and Maddi’s memory. Judge Nancy Buytendorp had gone along. Now that Fravel has been convicted, the family wants the final word – its sentencing recommendations — to be wholly public. The decision is up to Buytendorp. The sentencing will be Tuesday at the Winona County Courthouse. Whether sentencing is used as a forum for the begrieved is their option, subject to a judge’s approval. Even so, the Kingsburys’ point isn’t quite clear. With a first-degree murder conviction, Fravel faces a mandatory life sentence anyway. The sentencing hearing is pro forma.
