A Winona, Minn., man accused of murdering his former girlfriend and dumping her body will stand trial in Mankato instead, according to a Wednesday court filing.

Madeline Jane Kingsbury (Courtesy photo)

Adam Fravel, 30, is accused of killing Madeline Kingsbury, the 26-year-old mother of his two young children, last year.

A motion to move the trial out of Winona County was granted in June by Judge Nancy Buytendorp because of concerns about the high level of media coverage related to the southeastern Minnesota case and the impact it could have on a jury pool.

Fravel’s defense team hired a research firm that found that of 100 people surveyed in Winona County, 89 had read, seen or heard news about Kingsbury’s disappearance and death. Sixty-six respondents had formed opinions about who was responsible for it.

Only one of those 66 people did not believe that Fravel caused Kingsbury’s death, the report found.

The number of people involved in mass searches for Kingsbury after her disappearance was also cited as possibly tainting the jury pool, as well as the high interest in the case on social media.

“After careful consideration, the court finds that Blue Earth County is best positioned to ensure the impartiality required for a fair trial and is well-suited to accommodate this Winona County case,” Buytendorp stated in the court document Wednesday.

Fravel’s trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 7 at the Blue Earth County Justice Center in Mankato, which is 120 miles west of Winona. Pretrial appearances for the case are still scheduled Sept. 3-4 in Winona County.

Fravel faces four charges related to Kingsbury’s killing, including murder in the first degree while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of domestic abuse, murder in the first degree premeditated, murder in the second degree and murder in the second degree without intent while committing a felony.

Adam Taylor Fravel. (Winona County Sheriff’s Office)

Fravel has been held in the Winona County jail since June 7, 2023. The body of Kingsbury, who went missing on March 31, 2023, was found that day in a culvert north of Mabel near the home of Fravel’s parents.

Kingsbury’s cause of death was listed only as “homicidal violence.”

Fravel’s bail is set at $2 million with conditions and $3 million without conditions.

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