The mystery surrounding the murder of a woman found in the woods has been solved. An air mattress provided a pivotal clue leading to the arrest.

In a chilling turn of events, Adam Fravel has been slapped with two counts of second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his former partner, Madeline Kingsbury. Kingsbury, who had two children with Fravel, was discovered in a secluded wooded area north of Mabel, Minnesota. Her body was concealed in what seemed to be a gray fitted bed sheet, sealed with black Gorilla Tape. An autopsy revealed a knotted towel wrapped around her neck and head.

Unveiling crucial evidence

KARE 11 reported the criminal complaint showed that during a search of the home Kingsbury and Fravel shared, investigators found a roll of Gorilla Tape identical in color and width to the one used to seal the bed sheet. Furthermore, an air mattress in the home had pillows with gray cases, but a matching fitted sheet was missing. This inconsistency in bedding items emerged as a key piece of evidence in the investigation.

Witnesses recounted multiple instances where Fravel was allegedly physically violent towards Kingsbury. One family member reported to authorities that she had been informed Fravel had choked Kingsbury. When she went to visit Kingsbury, she and another person noticed a red mark on the side of her neck.

A friend of Kingsbury's relayed an incident where she witnessed Fravel hit Kingsbury in the face during a video call. The friend yelled at Fravel over the phone, alerting him that the incident was captured during a live call.

As part of their probe, police accessed iPhones owned by Kingsbury and collected texts and conversations between her and Fravel. In one message, Kingsbury expressed her unease and fear about Fravel choking her. The text response allegedly from Fravel was chillingly dismissive, stating, "You'll adjust."

Fravel made a statement to Kingsbury that if she "didn't listen up, she would end up like Gabby Petito" (a young woman killed by her fiance), claiming he was making a joke. Fravel admitted to being fascinated with the Gabby Petito case.

Timeline and court dates

Video evidence gathered by detectives shows a person believed to be Fravel swapping the license plates on Kingsbury's van before driving out of the driveway. Investigators say the plates put on the vehicle were the ones from the car Fravel usually drives.

Prosecutors say Kingsbury's van was seen driving south on Highway 43 towards Mabel and the location where Kingsbury was found, and then driving back north to the residence. Investigators drove the same route and found there was a 45-minute gap in Fravel's timeline. Prosecutors are expected to argue that Fravel used that 45 minutes to dispose of Kingsbury's body.

Adam Fravel's next court appearance is scheduled for July 20 at 1:45 p.m. via Zoom. If convicted, he faces a potential 40-year sentence for each of the two murder counts.

What it means

• The murder case of a woman found dead in the woods has been solved, with an air mattress providing a pivotal clue leading to an arrest.
• Adam Fravel has been slapped with two counts of second-degree murder charges in connection with the death of his former partner, Madeline Kingsbury.
• Key evidence in the case includes a roll of Gorilla Tape and an air mattress with pillows that had gray cases but no matching fitted sheet.
• Witnesses recounted multiple instances where Fravel was allegedly physically violent towards Kingsbury.
• Video evidence shows a person believed to be Fravel swapping the license plates on Kingsbury's van before driving out of the driveway on the day she disappeared.
• Adam Fravel's next court appearance is scheduled for July 20. If convicted, he faces a potential 40-year sentence for each of the two murder counts.

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