Winona County takes custody of missing woman's children

WINONA, Minn. — County health and human services officials have taken custody of 26-year-old Madeline Jane Kingsbury's children less than two weeks after she disappeared under suspicious circumstances.

Winona County District Judge Mary Leahy on Wednesday ordered Kingsbury's 5-year-old and 2-year-old children remain in custody after social workers removed them from their father, Adam Fravel, earlier this month.

Tom Braun, Fravel's attorney in this case, is not taking questions from media, according to a worker at his office. Megan Kingsbury, Madeline's sister, said the family had no comment at this time. An attorney for the Kingsbury family did not respond to calls for comment.

According to court documents, social workers and law enforcement on April 4 tried to enforce a 72-hour hold on the children due to Madeline Kingsbury's disappearance. County officials learned Fravel does not have custodial rights to Kingsbury's children, meaning the kids don't have a legal decisionmaker with Kingsbury gone.

A child in need of protective services petition shows officials found Kingsbury's children with Fravel at a family member's home. Fravel and his family didn't allow social workers access to the children — at one point Fravel took the youngest child inside and locked the door while shouting expletives, according to the petition.

Fravel and his family eventually relented after Fravel called his attorney, according to court documents. The children left the home with only the clothes they wore.

Megan Kingsbury told KTTC-TV in Rochester, which first reported late Wednesday on the county's efforts to take custody of the children, that they were "safe, and they are doing well."

County officials will determine how much access Fravel and family members have with the children. A pre-trial hearing is schedule on May 15, with a trial concerning the children's custody set on June 6 and 7.

Kingsbury was last seen March 31 with Fravel dropping their children off at a day care. She didn't show up for work at Mayo Clinic in Rochester or pick up her kids. Police searched her van and home, finding her phone, wallet, ID and a jacket that she had worn earlier in the day.

Winona police say Fravel told law enforcement he left Kingsbury's home driving her van around 10 a.m., but didn't see her when he returned later that day. Police have yet to name suspects in Kingsbury's disappearance.

Fravel said in a statement released Wednesday by attorney Zachary Bauer he hopes Kingsbury comes home safe and said he had no involvement in her disappearance.