Podcast Summary: "The Day Maddi Kingsbury Went Missing"

Podcast: 48 Hours (CBS News)
Episode Date: September 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of 48 Hours investigates the disappearance and tragic murder of Madeline “Maddie” Kingsbury from Winona, Minnesota. Through extensive interviews with Maddie’s family, friends, and law enforcement, alongside key evidence and chronology, the podcast unpacks the case from Maddie’s last known moments through to the eventual criminal conviction of her former partner, Adam Fravel. The tone is raw, emotional, and meticulous, emphasizing both investigative details and the lingering emotional devastation for all involved.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Disappearance and Early Response

• Timeline: Maddie is last seen on the morning of March 31, 2023, after dropping her children off at daycare with Adam Fravel, her former partner and the children’s father. Adam claims Maddie returned home to work in her basement office; he left and did not see her again.
• Family Alarm: By late afternoon, Maddie’s family grows anxious. Calls and texts go unanswered. Megan, her sister, asks a friend to check Maddie’s house; nobody is home. Police are contacted, but the initial missing person report is delayed due to the 24-hour rule.
  • Quote: "I started sobbing at that point. They said that there was no sign of her. There was no sign of a struggle." (03:20; Megan)

2. The Investigation Begins

• Law Enforcement Response: The police initiate extensive search efforts involving the community, drones, dogs, and multiple agencies. Maddie’s case draws immense regional attention, partly through Megan’s active TikTok outreach which mobilizes hundreds of volunteers.
  • Quote: "Almost 1900 people signed up today to come look for my sister…" (04:40; Megan)
• Mayor’s Involvement: Winona Mayor Scott Sherman gets personally involved in search efforts and supports the family.
  • Quote: "She gave me a hug that I will never forget the rest of my life. It was a hug that showed fear, concern." (06:53; Mayor Sherman)

3. Maddie & Adam: Relationship Context

• Rocky History: Testimonies reveal Maddie and Adam’s relationship was fraught with emotional and physical abuse, controlling behavior, and previous threats by Adam referencing the highly publicized Gabby Petito case.
  • Quote: “He told her that if she wasn’t careful, she was going to end up just like Gabby Petito.” (18:06; Haley, Maddie’s friend)
  • Multiple friends and family members recount incidents of violence including choking and slapping, often minimized by Maddie herself out of fear or hope for change.
• Family Perspective:
  • Quote: "I think she literally poured out a river of love for him, and she got nary a drop in return." (19:45; David Kingsbury, Maddie’s father)
  • Maddie's stepmother, Kathy, recalled: “At some point, he’s going to kill you.” (22:44; Kathy)

4. The Search for Evidence & Adam’s Timeline

• Last Known Movements: Adam’s story is scrutinized. Although video footage corroborates some of his activity, a “45-minute gap” in Adam’s whereabouts around the township of Choice, MN coincides suspiciously with Maddie’s disappearance.
  • Quote: "Where was he during those 45 minutes? That was the big question, right?" (25:03)
• Physical Evidence: Police notice Adam’s fresh facial scratches and inconsistencies with his story. Maddie’s essentials (purse, jacket, credit cards) are left at home. Surveillance cameras in the house are found removed weeks before.
  • Quote: "They found that the surveillance cameras… had been ripped out, that they were no longer there." (40:34; Mary Fulginitti, 48 Hours consultant)

5. The Spencer Sullivan Factor

• New Relationship: Maddie had recently confided to Adam about a new romantic interest, Spencer Sullivan, creating additional tension. Investigation determines Spencer’s alibi is solid; he is cleared.
  • Quote: "We were both kind of agreed to keep it a secret between us until she was on her own." (28:33; Spencer)

6. Key Breaks and Community Impact

• Direct Warnings: Multiple friends report Maddie warned them:
  • Quote: “If anything were to happen to her or her children, that Adam did it.” (33:30; Lauren Dubois)
• Cadaver Dogs & Forensic Evidence: Dogs alert to Adam’s family utility vehicle and shovel; police theorize Maddie’s body was moved.
• Community Mourning: Maddie's family, friends, and town gather for public vigils and relentless searches, expressing hope and demanding answers.

7. Discovery of Maddie’s Body & Arrest

• Remains Located (June 7, 2023): Maddie’s body is discovered in a culvert near the township of Choice, wrapped in a distinctive gray bed sheet and duct tape, matching a set missing from her home and near Fravel family land.
• Adam’s Arrest and Charges: Adam Fravel is arrested and eventually indicted on first and then first-degree murder. Motives cited: financial dependence, break-up, $170,000 death benefit.
• Family Reaction: Adam’s family professes his innocence, citing alternative explanations for evidence (like a shovel being used for a dead raccoon) and expressing frustration with investigators.

8. Aftermath and Conviction

• Legal Proceedings: Adam’s defense contests the investigation and admissibility of his interview.
• Conviction: In December 2024, Adam Fravel is convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
  • Quote: “There’s a presumption of innocence in our legal system… But there’s also the court of common sense. In a court of common sense, all roads lead to Adam Preble.” (42:50; Interviewee)

9. Reflection and Advocacy

• Family and Community Healing: Maddie’s family expresses ongoing grief, regret, and a resolve to raise awareness about domestic violence.
  • Quote: “That’s the reason why we’re talking about this. Because we don’t want it to happen to anybody else.” (42:57; Maddie’s family)
• Emotional Climax: Deeply heartfelt interviews with Maddie’s loved ones provide a testament to her character, legacy, and the impact of her loss.
  • Quote: "I’ll always be the father of a murdered girl." (43:37; David Kingsbury)
  • Quote: "She was everybody’s best friend." (44:42; Maddie’s friends/family)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• "People just don't vanish. My sister is still missing." — Megan (05:12)
• "She was a bright young woman working through school, working a job in Rochester and raising kids all at the same time." — Mayor Scott Sherman (06:11)
• "If anything were to happen to her or her children, that Adam did it." — Lauren Dubois (33:30)
• "[Adam] would never harm Maddie, the mother to his children… he’d never do such a thing." — Adam’s family (41:33)
• "In a court of common sense, all roads lead to Adam Preble." — 48 Hours Consultant (42:50)
• "That’s the reason why we’re talking about this. Because we don’t want it to happen to anybody else." — Kingsbury family (42:57)
• "I’ll always be the father of a murdered girl." — David Kingsbury (43:37)
• "She was everybody’s best friend." — Friends and family (44:42)
• "[Adam Fravel] was convicted of murdering Maddie Kingsbury and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole." (45:04)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Maddie’s disappearance & family response: 01:35–03:33
• Community search mobilization: 04:05–05:25
• Detailed relationship dynamics and abuse: 17:52–23:08
• The 45-minute gap in Adam’s timeline: 24:41–25:08
• Discovery of Maddie’s remains: 36:38–38:05
• Adam’s arrest, motive, and evidence: 38:41–41:00
• Family and legal reflections: 42:16–45:04

Conclusion

The Day Maddi Kingsbury Went Missing delivers a thorough, emotionally charged, and deeply human look at a community’s search for justice, the scourge of domestic violence, and a family’s battle with grief. The episode’s blend of forensic rigor and personal testimony provides insight and advocacy, honoring Maddie’s memory and echoing a call to action for all listeners.