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Minnesota murder suspect's 'infatuation' with Gabby Petito case subject of pretrial testimony

The judge must decide whether friends and family of Maddi Kingsbury can testify at trial about domestic violence incidents they did not see themselves.

WINONA, Minn — Testifying inside the Winona County Courthouse, one of murder victim Maddi Kingsbury's best friends recounted a frantic phone conversation she had with Maddi in 2021. 

Michaela Shaw said Maddi told her that a news story concerning the murder of Gabby Petito -- a young woman killed by her fiance in a nationally-covered case -- came across the TV as Maddi and her boyfriend Adam Fravel watched.

"She let me know Adam put his hand around her throat and pushed her into the coach and said, 'If you're not careful, that could be you.' Then he laughed and walked out," Shaw testified. "I could tell she was frazzled and very scared because she didn't know where that would lead."

Fravel is accused of killing Maddi, the mother of his two children, in March 2023 after she ended their relationship.

Fravel is charged with the crime of 1st-degree murder while committing domestic abuse with a past pattern of abuse, so prosecutors want to use that story in Fravel's murder trial to help present that pattern to the jury. 

But hearsay evidence can be tricky legally. 

So the judge is hearing testimony throughout a two-day hearing to decide if friends and family members can share stories of abuse they didn't see themselves.

Another friend, Holly Stamschor, testified that Maddi told her the same story concerning Gabby Petito.

"He put her hand around her throat," Stamschor testified. "It was a threat on her life."

According to the criminal complaint, Fravel admitted to police he was "infatuated" with that case. 

Stamschor also testified about noticing bruising on Maddi's neck at a different time.

"One mark here, and a larger mark on the other side," Stamschor said while demonstrating where one's fingers would be situation while strangling someone.

Stamschor testified that she confronted Maddi about the bruises and Maddi laughed it off, joking that things got out of hand during an intimate moment. Stamschor said she didn't believe Maddi.

"I encouraged her to leave," Stamschor testified, adding that Maddi would then answer that she wanted Fravel to be in their children's lives and that she was worried about his reaction if she were to leave.

Shaw also testified about encouraging Maddi to leave the relationship, offering her a place to stay. Shaw said she and Maddi at one point communicated over text and Facebook messaging but had to start using Snapchat instead so the messages would automatically delete because Maddi told her Fravel had been accessing some accounts.

The judge did not rule at the hearing but will decide before the October 7 trial which of those stories if any can be delivered through testimony in front of the jury.

The trial will take place in Mankato. The judge has not yet ruled if cameras will be allowed.

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