Madeline Kingsbury, a young mother from Southern Minnesota, left her children at their daycare center on March 31 and was never seen again.
Her phone, wallet, and van were all left at her Winona home, prompting the police to begin their investigation. As early as April, law enforcement had identified an area near the town of Mabel, an hour drive from Winona and bordering Iowa, as a potential search area.
Tragically, Wednesday saw the discovery of human remains in some brush near Highway 43, which led to the ex-partner of Kingsbury, Adam Fravel, being taken into custody in the evening for suspicion of second-degree murder.
This case struck a chord with the community of Winona, Minnesota, as Kingsbury had yet to celebrate her 27th birthday on June 1. Her family united those around them and across the nation in a show of support and remembrance, asking people to put out blue lights to represent “lighting her way home”.
Although the discovery of her remains and the arrest of Fravel provides a setting for the family to begin dealing with their grief, the shock of the crime still reverberates through the town.