180 witnesses to be heard at Adam Fravel jury trial in October

Sept. 24—WINONA, Minn. — In Adam Fravel’s jury trial in October, the prosecution and defense plan to call a total of 180 witnesses, according to court documents filed Monday.

The state’s witness list includes 157 people, including family and friends of Fravel and Madeline Kingsbury, 38 employees of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and 30 members of Winona law enforcement. The defense witness list includes 23 people.

“As we continue to prepare for trial, it is likely that the witness list, while still long, will be significantly reduced,” the state said in a new court document filed Tuesday. A court order was filed, noting that the opposing party and the court must be notified of any witness or exhibit not previously listed.

Fravel is charged with first-degree murder in domestic violence with a history of domestic violence, first-degree premeditated murder and two counts of second-degree murder in connection with Kingsbury’s death.

His jury trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 7 in Blue Earth County.

Two weeks before the trial began, the prosecution and defense filed 11 documents, including their witness lists.

Five of those documents were motions filed by the defense. The first seeks to bar the testimony of Melissa Scaia, an expert witness on domestic violence and abuse. Scaia had already testified on the second day of Fravel’s preliminary hearing. A second motion outlines courtroom decorum to prohibit spectators and witnesses from carrying signs that show support for Kingsbury. The final three motions address the use of photographs taken by the medical examiner and law enforcement, jury selection, witness testimony and the use of physical restraints on Fravel.

A questionnaire for jurors was also filed Monday. They will be asked whether they participated in the search for Kingsbury and whether they posted messages about her disappearance.

Jury selection will last about a week and the trial is expected to last nearly a month, according to court documents.

According to reports at the time, Fravel was the last person to see Kingsbury alive, leading law enforcement to link what they believe to be Fravel traveling to the Mabel area in Kingsbury’s vehicle on March 31, 2023. Law enforcement also found other evidence, including duct tape and bed sheets found on her body, which were the same ones they had found in the couple’s shared home.

Kingsbury also allegedly broke off an abusive relationship with Fravel, who admitted to an obsession with Gabby Petito, a woman killed in 2021 by her fiancé in a case that made national news, according to the criminal complaint.

Fravel was arrested on June 9, 2023, after Kingsbury’s body was found near Mabel after months of searching.