Maddi Kingsbury murder: Adam Fravel files motion to dismiss murder charge, move trial

WINONA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Adam Fravel, the southern Minnesota man charged with killing Maddi Kingsbury, has filed motions to dismiss the first-degree murder charge against him and a motion to move any future trial out of Winona County.

Kingsbury, 26, was missing for 68 days. She was last seen on March 31, 2023 and her body was found off a remote Minnesota highway on June 7, 2023.

Fravel, 29, the father of Maddi's children, is believed to have been the last person to see her alive. After law enforcement found her remains, they arrested Fravel, and he was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in connection to Maddi's death. He was later indicted on a charge of first-degree murder.

Fravel motion to dismiss

New filings in the case reveal Adam Fravel wants the first-degree murder charge against him thrown out. His lawyers argue there is not enough evidence for him to be tried on that charge.

"An extensive review of the grand jury transcripts in this matter shows that the grand jurors were not presented sufficient evidence as to premeditation to establish the offense," the motion states.

Motion to move trial out of Winona County

Other filings in the case show Fravel's legal team is trying to move the case out of Winona County because of extensive media coverage and community interest.

Attorneys cite, "the overwhelming media coverage, the amount of prejudicial information that has been disseminated and the population of Winona County," as well as the large amount of community involvement in searching for Maddi.

Motion to suppress evidence

Finally, there is a motion to suppress some evidence and testimony. Defense attorneys want data from a phone number and a statement Fravel made to police thrown out.

The defense says the Winona detective that applied for a search warrant claimed they didn't have location data for Fravel's phone after March 30 and that this "lack of data" showed the lengths Fravel had gone to in an effort to hide his whereabouts. But, Fravel's attorneys say law enforcement did have geolocation data from the phone after March 30 when they applied for the warrant.

In the motion to suppress Fravel’s statement, the defense also argues officers did not provide a Miranda warning prior to the April 2 interrogation at the Rushford Police Department, adding that Fravel was not in custody during the interrogation but was made to feel as if he was.

Next court date

The next court date in Fravel's first-degree murder case is a contested omnibus hearing that begins on March 19 and is expected to take several days. See a complete timeline of the disappearance of Madeline Kingsbury and death investigation.