(KWNO)- The Winona Police Department provided an update of the ongoing search for 26-year-old Madeline Kingsbury, via press release, while the father of Madeline’s children, Adam Fravel, also released a statement, via his attorney.
The WPD still firmly believes that Maddi’s disappearance was involuntary and suspicious, and they remain extremely concerned for her safety.
Over the weekend, the WPD estimates that more than 2,000 people volunteered to help search for Maddi. Multiple law enforcement agencies have been conducting searches since the beginning of the investigation as well.
Since the end of the large, organized searches over the weekend. The WPD says that law enforcement has continued to conduct targeted searches in Winona and Fillmore Counties. Over the course of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week, over one hundred law enforcement and public safety personnel searched these additional targeted areas based off information they have received, via tips or through investigative discovery. The WPD has drafted and served numerous search warrants as part of our search efforts.
Maddi’s van, the dark blue Chrysler Town and Country, has been taken and processed for evidence. Throughout the investigation, WPD have worked closely with the Minnestoa Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to identify and process any available forensic evidence. The WPD is following up on leads and paths of inquiry to find answer to the case, the press release says. The van remains and will remain in police custody for the time being.
The WPD says, “We have had two goals since we learned Maddi was missing: bring her home and if warranted, hold accountable the person or persons responsible for her disappearance. Releasing certain information about the investigation would jeopardize our ability to achieve these goals. We understand just how much the community wants answers and we are asking everyone to be patient as the investigative process unfolds.”
The family of Maddi Kingsbury also released a statement coupled with the press release,
“We will continue to search for Madeline. We will not give up and our family will come out the other side of this forever changed but forever grateful for the tireless dedication of so many helpers.”
The father of Maddi’s two children, Adam Fravel, who the WPD said they’ve spoken to and is the last person seen with Maddi, released a statement via his attorney.
Fravel says that over the span of the last 12 days he and his family have received “a myriad of accusations regarding the disappearance of the mother of my children, Maddi Kingsbury.” Fravel continues to say that he has cooperated with law enforcement “at every turn.” Fravel says that he has sat down for multiple interviews with the Winona Police Department.
He also references his absence from the press conferences and public appearances from Maddi’s family. He credits his absence to law enforcement advising him not to attend the press conferences or assist in the searches due to safety concerns.
“My non-attendance and silence has been inferred by many as a sign of apathy, or worse. That could not be further from the truth. I want Maddi home for her to be able to be with our two children.”
However, Law Enforcement officials have contradicted these claims.
Bonney Bowman, a spokesperson for the Minnesota BCA, says she “Was not aware of any law enforcement telling Adam to stay away from the press conferences or searches.”
Furthermore, court documents indicate that Fravel’s relationship with the children may be a bit convoluted. Court documents from a recently opened court case states that Fravel is not the custodial parent of the children, rather, the adjudicated parent. Meaning that, legally, Fravel does not have any custody rights.
On April 4, five days after Maddi Kingsbury was last seen, Winona County Health and Human Services was notified by the Winona Police Department that a 72-hour hold was going to be placed on the children due to Maddi’s endangerment. With the children located with the father, Adam Fravel, at the paternal grandparent’s residence, the County Health and Human Services department sent social workers to execute the hold.
Once at the residence, Fravel and his family became non-cooperative with officials and would not allow Social Workers access to the children, the court document states.
The events escalated from there, the Court document reads,
“At one point, Father took the younger child into the residence and locked the door despite being told that the children were in the care and custody of Winona County. While Father was in the home with the younger child, Social Worker could hear Father Shouting Expletives.”
It continues, “Social Workers attempted to explain to Father and his family what the 72-hour hold meant and attempted to encourage the family to be cooperative in order to aide in the transition for the children. These attempts were unsuccessful…Officials on scene informed the family that they cannot obstruct this process…Eventually, Father placed the children in the vehicle.”
When Fravel finally cooperated to a minor extent, he then refused any further help from Social Workers attempting to assist him in getting the children into the vehicle. The court document then says that after refusal of assistance, Fravel placed the children in the wrong car seats. Additionally, the document states that Fravel refused to gather any belongings for the children, which resulted in the children leaving the home with only the clothes they were wearing.
“Father ended up placing the children in the wrong car seats. Father was unwilling together belongings for the children therefore the children left the home with only the clothes they were wearing.”
The attorney representing Fravel in this CHIPS case is a different attorney than the one that released his statement to the public.
The petitioner of the court specifically recommended that the children remain in custody with the Winona County Health and Human Services. A document from the case indicates that “It is in the best interest of the children to remain in out-of-home placement until the custodial parent is able to provide a safe environment…It is in the best interest of the children for care, custody, and control to be transferred to Winona County Health and Human Services.”
Fravel will go to court for the rights to his children in June.
To date, there is nothing the WPD can release that provides answers, however they are working tirelessly to find Maddi. The WPD remains confident that they will find her.
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