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In 2020, in a small California mountain town, five women disappeared. I found out what happened to all of them, except one. A woman known as Dia, whose estate is worth millions of dollars. I'm Lucy Sheriff. Over the past four years, I've spoken with Dia's family and friends, and I've discovered that everyone has a different version of events.
Hear the story on Where's Dear? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including violence, abuse, and murder.
This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice. Today I'm discussing the case of Madeline Kingsbury from Winona, Minnesota. About a week before recording this episode, I got a Google alert for my sister Alyssa's name.
Usually, these just mention weird taglines from old stories or maybe a random mention online. But when I opened the email, I read the title, Madeline Maddie Kingsbury 5 Fast Facts to Know Heavy.com. So I clicked the link. The article explains that Maddie went missing on March 31st of this year, so 2023, after she and the father of her children, Adam Fravel, dropped their kids off at daycare.
The article goes on to discuss Maddie's life, and specifically some of her activity on social media throughout the years. Things like her looking for childcare, her being upset about mass shootings in the country, the overturn of Roe v. Wade, racism in policing. I mean, obviously Maddie is a very passionate person. And then I saw it. She shared my sister Alyssa's story. Maddie was a part of Alyssa's army.
That's when I knew I had to help, and fast, to pay it forward and help her like she helped Alyssa. This is a very new case, and there are a lot of ways you can help, so let's dig right in. This is the case of Madeline Kingsbury.
As the last week of March 2023 was coming to an end, 26-year-old Maddie Kingsbury was looking forward to a weekend away with her older sister Megan in Minneapolis. Maddie lives with her two children, 5-year-old Ellie and 2-year-old Noah, along with their father, Adam Fravel, in Winona, Minnesota, about two hours away from Megan.
So the sisters aren't terribly far apart, but far enough that they usually opted for daily texts, calls, and FaceTime chats over traveling hours to see each other in person. On Thursday, March 30th, Megan and Maddie are chatting over FaceTime. It was just Ellie's fifth birthday, and Aunt Megan got her a new leotard for gymnastics that she was very excited to show her before they headed off to class.
The plan for the weekend was for Maddie and Ellie to drive to Megan in Minneapolis on Saturday, while Noah stayed home with his father Adam.
On the morning of Friday, March 31st, Maddie and Adam drop the kids off at daycare just after 8am and return home. Around 10am, Adam takes Maddie's 2014 dark blue Town & Country Chrysler minivan out for a few hours. Now, reports don't exactly say why he took the van or what he was doing while he was gone. But when Adam returns around 1.30pm, Maddie is gone.
At this point, Maddie's friends, family, and employer don't know this. As far as I could find, Adam doesn't tell anyone Maddie was gone when he got home, or at least not her family. Maddie doesn't show up for her job as a clinical researcher at the Mayo Clinic. Now, while Maddie does often work from home, on the 31st she planned on making the about-hour drive into the office, but she was a no-call no-show.
Here is Maddie's sister, Megan, explaining what happened next in an interview with Lou Raguse from Care 11 News. We both get up really early for work and she's up early with the kids. So I will typically hear from her before 8 a.m. sometimes. I had sent her a funny photo the night before we went on a trip together last summer, just a long weekend to Rhode Island.
Um, so it was just a funny picture from there. Um, she didn't see it until that morning of the 31st and she just kind of sent her response back, you know, LOL. And, you know, um, and I had, I had responded to it, you know, just kind of general like chit chat. Um, and that was at like eight 15 that she sent me a message. And then that was the last that I heard from her. Um, um,
And I didn't hear from her the rest of the day. I didn't really think about it. I know she's busy. And then my mom reached out to me probably around 6 p.m. asking if I had heard from Madeline because my mom had sent some messages and I think maybe tried to call her throughout the day with no response. And that just isn't normal.
And I was like, no, you know, she's fine. She's probably busy with the kids. But I did send her a few messages. Hey, mom's concerned. Can you call her? Text her back. I didn't get a response to that. So a couple of hours went by and I tried to call her a few times. It rang, but went to voicemail, sent her a few other messages. And it was about seven o'clock yesterday.
I reached out to some friends of hers. Nobody else had heard from her. And that's when we kind of started to get concerned. I reached out to my dad. He usually talks to her regularly, too. He hadn't heard from her. So...
At that point, especially because she was supposed to come to my house the next morning with her daughter, Ellie, there were definitely some alarm bells going off because it just was so unlike her personality.
And then just as it got later into the night and, you know, she still wasn't responding or picking up her phone, you know, pretty quickly we wanted to file a missing persons report because it's just such abnormal behavior. And were you and other family members reaching out to Adam as well to see what he knew? I did reach out to him that evening at about 7 p.m.,
Or no, close to 8 p.m. He didn't get back to me, I think, until after nine. But just kind of given the circumstances of their relationship at the time, you know, he just basically said he didn't really think anything of it that he hadn't heard from her.
But Maddie's family has the opposite reaction. They know she would never just miss work and not show up to pick her kids up from daycare or come home to them that night. Maddie is a high achiever. She's a grad student. She is actively working to advance her career and her personal life. Everything about this situation is just extremely out of character for Maddie.
Investigators are dispatched to Maddie and Adam's home. Now, we don't know if Adam voluntarily let them search the home or if they had to obtain a search warrant, but when they do, they realize just how dire the situation really is. It's clear that wherever Maddie is, she didn't plan on being gone long, because in the home, they find Maddie's phone and her wallet.
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The response to Maddie's disappearance has been enormous. The media, law enforcement, and the community have been working tirelessly to bring her home since her case first hit the news cycle. The searches for Maddie began immediately, and so did the investigation into the day she went missing. On April 3rd, the Winona Police Department released a statement that reads in part, quote,
Since March 31st, investigators have interviewed numerous people, including family and friends. Investigators have been canvassing neighborhoods, searching areas, and attempting to collect any video surveillance that might give us clues as to where Kingsbury or her van, a 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town & Country, may have traveled.
Recent developments led investigators to believe a van matching the description of Kingsbury's was seen traveling from Winona to the eastern part of Fillmore County during the day on March 31st.
The Winona Police Department and the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office are asking residents and landowners in eastern Fillmore County to check their properties, including any video cameras, doorbell cameras, game cameras, etc., for any signs of the van passing through or stopping.
In addition, we asked residents slash landowners to check for signs of a disturbance or other suspicious activity. We are specifically looking for information during the time frame of 8 a.m. on March 31st to 4 p.m. on April 1st along the highway corridor of Winona and Fillmore Counties."
In just the first few days after Maddie went missing, law enforcement, family, friends, and volunteers covered over 30 miles of ground looking for Maddie. Which is just incredible. Now, the day after this statement was released on April 5th, Maddie's family joins the Winona Police Department in a press conference, and Maddie's sister Megan takes the mic. I want to warn you that the clip I'm going to play you is hard to hear.
But it's powerful. You can just hear this internal struggle Megan has between being rightfully, extremely emotional and knowing she needs to continue to get the facts out. I can tell you that is not an easy thing to do. I will discuss how amazing and brave Maddie's sister Megan has been throughout this process. But for now, here's Megan. I'm not a public speaker, so I appreciate your patience with me.
Thank you all for coming. My family and I really appreciate all of your attention and wanting to help. I'm Megan Kingsbury, I'm Maddie's older sister. Speaking on behalf of my entire family, those of us in town, out of town, out of state, including my older brother, Stephen, wasn't able to make it here at the moment. He's overseas on deployment. He's currently en route from Romania to be here.
As it's been said, we all know and I know everyone wants details about the investigation and what's been discovered. I'm not talking about that right now. And to be honest, I don't know everything either. I'm here to talk about Madeline and her children. Madeline is many things. She's a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, granddaughter and a niece. It's a long list.
She's a young mother of two, five-year-old Eliana, two-year-old Noah. Ellie is spunky and goofy. She loves to be crafty and creative. She's inherited her mother's kindness and curiosity about the world. Little Noah has turned into a chatterbox. Can't tell what he says half the time. He loves to dance. He loves rock and roll, and he was born
blessed with the red-headed gene for my grandfather. It's missed everyone else. He's got dimples and eyes that sparkle. Madeline is a hard-working and dedicated mother as well as a grad student at the U of M and works for the Mayo Clinic. Family is everything to her. She's grown into an impressive and beautiful young woman. This community has really rallied around
Us and so many wonderful people have traveled from all over the state and beyond to come and help find my sister. And we're beyond grateful and we're truly touched. Law enforcement obviously has been extremely hardworking and we'll never be able to thank everyone enough for what they're doing for Madeline. And we will remain loud about this and continue to advocate for Madeline any way, shape, or form.
We're offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to her whereabouts. So please help us find Madeline. The children need their mother. We need our daughter, sister, our aunt, and our best friend back. Yeah, we just want to find her. So thank you.
Like I said, it's not an easy clip to hear, but this is the reality of the whole Maddie being missing has left in her loved one's lives, and I don't think it's fair to anyone to sugarcoat or ignore that.
But aside from humanizing Maddie and discussing the impact her disappearance has had, the Winona Police Department provides a more detailed timeline of the day she went missing, information about Adam, the investigative efforts to find Maddie, and how the public can help. I'm Winona Police Chief Tom Williams. I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to spread the word about the disappearance of Madeline Maddie Kingsbury. We are very hopeful that we will find her.
Maddie was last seen the morning of Friday, March 31st. Maddie and the father of their children dropped the children off at daycare shortly after 8 a.m. Maddie did not show up for work, which is very unlike her, and we are worried for her safety. During the course of our investigation, we know that Maddie returned to her residence on Cary Drive in Winona around 8.15 a.m. on March 31st.
The vehicle that Maddie normally drives is a 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town & Country minivan depicted to my right. The father of Maddie's children has spoken to law enforcement and told us that he left the residence in Maddie's van around 10 a.m. and upon returning later in the day, Maddie was not home.
We believe a van similar to Maddie's van was driven on County Road 12 and Highway 43 in Winona County and then southbound on Highway 43 through the eastern part of Fillmore County. Later, a van similar to Maddie's traveled back toward Winona on Highway 43. All of this occurred between approximately 10 a.m. and 1.30 p.m.,
We believe the van remained parked in the driveway of Maddie's residence from 1:30 p.m. on. Nothing to date has indicated that Maddie left the residence on foot or in another vehicle. The public has asked if we are currently looking for the van and we are not. Investigators have searched the van and the residence. Inside the residence, investigators located Maddie's phone,
the jacket she had been wearing earlier in the morning, along with her wallet and ID. Maddie's family and friends tried to contact Maddie throughout the day on March 31st without success. It was unlike her not to respond. Based on all of this, we believe Maddie's disappearance is involuntary, suspicious, and we are all concerned for her safety.
Law enforcement began searching areas nearby Maddie's residence and along Highway 43 in both Winona and Fillmore counties. Our search efforts have been ongoing. We've been assisted by other law enforcement agencies and volunteers. Our search efforts have included people on foot, in vehicles, as well as by water and air. We are doing everything we can to bring Maddie home.
We have spoken with many of her family members and friends and are actively following any developing information. No stone is being left unturned and we are using every tool at our disposal to find her. Many of you have asked how you can help and we really appreciate that. Here's what we are asking the public to do.
If you live in or around Winona and Fillmore counties, especially along and around the routes previously mentioned, we're asking you to walk your property, check out buildings, and have a good look around for any signs that someone passed that way or for signs of a disturbance. Please check any cameras that you have on your property, including game cams, doorbell cams, and security cams.
look for someone passing by. We also ask that you check the video for a dark blue minivan driving by or stopping. Regardless of whether you see something or not, if you have a camera along any of the mentioned routes, please save any video from March 31st to April 1st and contact law enforcement. If you know anything or saw something suspicious, please call the Winona Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
Your information might be the final piece that brings Maddie home. Now, I know it can be hard to picture or remember the areas discussed, so I will share the maps of the areas published by the Winona Police Department on our website and social media channels. As of recording this episode, the Winona PD has not confirmed if the van they are discussing was Maddie's van, and they either don't know or won't say who was driving the vehicle.
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After this, the Winona Police Department conducts some massive searches for Maddie. Between the time when Maddie went missing on the 31st and April 8th, Maddie's friends, family, and thousands of volunteers showed up for these searches. Of course, there was also a heavy law enforcement presence and a variety of teams searching different areas, including the several bodies of water in the area. But so far, it seems that no sign of Maddie has been found.
On April 8th, the Winona Police Department announces that they are ending the large, organized searches for Maddie. But that doesn't mean the searches stopped altogether. At this point, they just shift their focus to more targeted searches as leads continue to come in. Now, let's address the elephant in the room, Adam.
I don't think I really need to say much to acknowledge the suspicions I think most of us have. But suspicions aren't facts, so let's go over some of what we know. And to be honest, at this point, it's not a ton. Both law enforcement and Maddie's loved ones have been very cautious about what they say about Adam. So I'm gonna follow their lead. But here's what's being reported. According to Megan, Maddie and Adam are not currently in a romantic relationship.
Maddie was actively looking for a new place to live, but planned to stay nearby so Adam could see the kids. The owner of the daycare the kids were dropped off at confirms that it is not unusual for both Maddie and Adam to drop the kids off together. However, Megan says that Adam picking them up alone is unusual in her opinion. We also know that Maddie and Adam each have their own vehicle.
Maddie has the 2014 dark blue Chrysler Town & Country minivan. I don't know what type of vehicle Adam has. We just know that he does have his own transportation. So why he would take Maddie's van instead of his own car, I don't know. And I haven't seen any statements from Maddie's loved ones that would give us further insight into this, aside from a mention that while Maddie's car had car seats installed, Adam's didn't.
Now, while we're talking about the van, I think it's worth mentioning that, according to reporting from Fox 9 Minneapolis, a neighbor reported that on the day Maddie went missing, they saw Adam back the van into his driveway. They say this is something they've never seen before. While the home does have a garage, the report doesn't make any mention of it.
Now, let's discuss Adam's first, and as of this recording, only official public statement about Maddie being missing. On April 11th, he issued a statement through his lawyer that reads, quote, "...over the course of the last 12 days, my family and I have been subject to a myriad of accusations regarding the disappearance of the mother of my children, Maddie Kingsbury. During these last 12 days, I have cooperated with law enforcement at every turn."
including sitting down for multiple interviews with Winona County law enforcement. I did not have anything to do with Maddie's disappearance. I want the mother of my 5-year-old and 2-year-old to be found and brought home safely. I want that more than anything. Law enforcement advised me on April 2nd that they would not recommend that I attend the press conferences or that I assist in the searches due to safety concerns."
However, my non-attendance and silence has been inferred by many as a sign of apathy or worse. That could not be further from the truth. I want Maddie home, and for her to be able to be with our two children. God bless the Kingsbury family, and please bring her home safely."
Now, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, or BCA, followed up Adam's statement with their own, stating they are, quote, not aware of any law enforcement advising Mr. Fravel not to attend news conferences or searches for Madeline, end quote. And there's more. In terms of cooperating with law enforcement, well, we have a court document that, in my opinion, also just doesn't align with Adam's statement.
On April 4th, five days after Maddie was last seen, the Winona County Health and Human Services Department was notified that a 72-hour hold was going to be placed on the kids. This is because Maddie is considered an endangered missing person.
We also learn that Adam does not have custodial rights to the kids, and Maddie did not have a legal document in place outlining what she would like to happen to them should something happen to her. Basically, without Maddie, the kids have no legal guardian. So, the decision was made that it was in the best interest of the children to remove them from Adam's care until they could determine the best place for them to live.
So social workers along with law enforcement go to Adam's father's house, where Adam and the kids were residing to remove them from his care.
The petition describes what happened next. Quote, "'Social workers assisted law enforcement with executing the 72-hour hold. Once at the residence, father and his family became non-cooperative with officials and would not allow social workers access to the children. At one point, father took the younger child into the residence and locked the door. Despite being told that the children were in the care and custody of Winona County.'
While father was in the home with the younger child, social worker could hear father shouting expletives. Social workers attempted to explain to father and his family what the 72-hour hold meant, and attempted to encourage the family to be cooperative. These attempts were unsuccessful. Father and his family made multiple calls to father's attorney.
and at one point stated that the attorney advised them to take the children in the home so that they could not be removed. Officials on scene inform the family that they cannot obstruct this process. At one point, Father's father mentioned that Winona County should prepare for a big lawsuit regarding this.
Eventually, father placed the children in the vehicle. One of the social workers attempted to assist father with securing the children in their car seats, but father was not willing to accept assistance. Father ended up placing the children in the wrong car seats. Additionally, father was unwilling to gather belongings for the children. Therefore, the children left the home with only the clothes they were wearing." End quote.
Through this document, we also learn that there was no known relevant criminal or child protection history with Adam.
As all of this was coming to light, the public was growing more frustrated with the lack of answers in Maddie's case. But on April 12th, the Winona Police Department is able to answer one question. What is going on with Maddie's van? Well, we learn that it was taken, and as of this recording, is still being processed for evidence. We also know that Maddie's home has been searched, and is also being processed along with a jacket she was wearing that day.
As far as official public updates, that's about where Maddie's case is today. No one has heard from Maddie since the morning of March 31st, 2023, and her family is adamant that she has no reason to stay away from her children. While the Winona PD is classifying Maddie as an endangered missing person and consider her disappearance involuntary, no persons of interest or suspects have been named.
Maddie's home is now outfitted with security cameras controlled by the Winona Police Department. While her family hasn't given much detail about Maddie's children, we do know that as of this recording, they are still out of Adam's custody and safe. Megan says they're doing well, all things considered. However, according to reporting from Chris Eberhardt with Fox News, Adam is fighting for custody of them.
Maddie's aunt, Rebecca Johnson, states that her family has not spoken to Adam since the news about Maddie went public. But the searches for Maddie do continue. The Winona PD and other agencies are still searching targeted areas as leads come in. And Maddie's older brother, Steven, finally made it back to Minnesota, where he and his friends search for her what looks like pretty much every day.
At this point, it seems Megan is the primary spokesperson for Maddie's case, and I've watched more of her interviews than I can count. You can see it all over her face, the toll this is taking on her, and I have to assume the entire family.
Megan is out there every day fighting for Maddie. In addition to traditional media interviews with basically every major news network, Megan, like so many families, has taken to TikTok, where she gives daily updates on Maddie's case. TikTok, I need you to do your thing. I need your help. This is my sister, Madeline Kingsbury. She's missing.
Hey, TikTok. Just coming on. Lots of support and boosting of my video about my missing sister, Madeline Kingsbury. Really, really appreciate that. Hey, TikTok. I'm posting an update. TikTok, I'm not driving. I'm pulled over. I am out in Fillmore County, Florida.
driving the drive from where my missing sister Madeline Kingsbury lived in Winona to uh Mabel Minnesota which is in Fillmore County hey TikTok um I am just kind of updating with uh what I can right now um we had a massive turnout for um search today um that was Easter Sunday and
My sister is still missing. Police and other law enforcement are obviously still searching. Everyone's frustrated and we just can't figure out where she is. My sister should be coloring easter eggs and eating candy with her kids today and she can't. Please continue to interact with my posts and boost them, share her information.
This has gone on too long. We want to bring her home. All right, TikTok. It's Tuesday the 11th, 10:30 this morning. I've been up for quite a while doing some more media interviews and things to help spread the word even more about my sister Madeline who is still missing. Morning, TikTok. I don't have an update. I just wanted to clarify that
You know, I've been using the word "frustrated" a lot, and I just want to make sure that, you know, we as a family are not frustrated with police at all. They're tirelessly working around the clock. It's just in a sense of, like, you know, we just want to find out where my sister is, and the police do too, so the frustration isn't with them at all.
I just wanted to make that very very clear. Alright, it is Thursday, right? April 13th. Still have not found my sister Madeline. Hey TikTok. Just checking in for today. I don't have any news. I know I usually update sooner, so nothing happened. Madeline still has not been located.
Hey TikTok. Whoa, just checking in. It's Saturday. I am back home just for a couple of days. So it's Saturday night. I'm at home and it feels so weird. You guys, like this isn't even my house. I haven't been here in two weeks and just so much has happened, you know, with Madeline being missing that it just feels like I don't belong here.
And like I've said before, I'm going back to Winona. You know, we just had some things to take care of at home. All right. It's Sunday. Still have not found Madeline. What's the day? The 16th. I don't really have any updates to share. I mean...
Law enforcement was searching some bodies of water I think a little bit closer to Maddie's house today. They didn't find anything. Hello TikTok, it is Monday the 17th of April, day 18 of this nightmare. Still no update on where Madeline is at. Hey hey, it's that time of day.
Am I really rhyming right now? Seriously. Anyways, it's Tuesday, April 18th. Still have not located Madeline. Not yet, but we will. We will. That brings me right to our call to action.
Please go support Maddie's family. Specifically, if you are on TikTok, please go show Megan some love, just like over a million of you did for me and Alyssa.
It's not easy putting yourself out there every single day like Megan is. So please, go let her know that we have her back. That we are here to support her. To cheer her on. To like and share her videos so Maddie stays top of everyone's mind.
So that every person in Winona, Fillmore, and Houston counties check, save, and send all video footage from March 31st and April 1st, 2023 to the Winona Police Department. So that every single person in those counties knows to walk their property. Check any sheds or any structures on their property for anything that can help bring Maddie home. It'll take you two seconds to go give Megan a follow, and I really hope that you do.
Her username is M-E-G-S-M-P-L-S. I'll also have a link in the episode description that you can literally just click. Now, of course, if you aren't on TikTok, please share Maddie's story.
You can also follow the Winona PD Facebook page for updates about Maddie's case as it develops. Or you can follow the Finding Madeline Kingsbury Facebook page that is endorsed by Megan. If you are in the area, this is where you can go to find information about how to get involved in searches and stay up to date on the current needs of the case. Maddie's family also has a GoFundMe page if you'd like to contribute monetarily.
Everything helps. So let's get the word out there for Maddie, just like she did for Alyssa. As a reminder, Madeline Maddie Kingsbury went missing from her home in Winona, Minnesota on March 31st, 2023. She has not been in contact with any of her friends or family since. Maddie is white, 26 years old, 5'4".
4 inches tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes. She weighs approximately 135 pounds. The Winona Police Department is urging residents in Minnesota from Winona, Fillmore, and Houston counties to check any camera footage they may have from March 31st to April 1st, 2023.
Even if you see nothing on the footage, law enforcement wants to see it. And if you do live in those counties, please check your property for any sign of Maddie Kingsbury. Maddie's family is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Winona Police Department at 507-457-6492. Or you can submit a tip anonymously at Crimestoppers by calling 507-457-6530. But as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.
Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice media original. If you love what we do here, please don't forget to follow, rate, and review the show in your podcast player. It's an easy and free way to help us and help more people find these cases in need of justice. And for even more content, check out my other podcast, Disappearances, only on Spotify.
Welcome to the secret after show. The studio door is open, and by studio I mean my spare bedroom and my house, and the dogs are running in and out for emotional support. This episode, um, obviously if you join me for these secret special after show moments that we have, you heard me talk about this case last week, and, um, I couldn't help but get emotional. Uh,
It just is what it is. I'm a very sensitive person. I always have been. And when I'm researching these cases, when I'm reading horrific details about a murder or watching videos of families begging for answers, I cry. I mean, obviously, after what I've gone through, it's just incredibly difficult to watch these things unfold. I mean, I know these emotions. I
I know them. I know what it feels like to have somebody go missing and stay missing for decades. What it feels like to have the police tell you that they know that your loved one has been murdered and everything in between, including speaking publicly about the case, which is just why I feel so much for Megan. It's one thing to feel and process all of these emotions and
It's something entirely different to have to do that in front of the whole world. Yeah, but I think for obvious reasons, I really wanted to highlight Megan's fight here too.
It's really amazing to see when families step up. And from what I can see, this family is just absolutely amazing. It makes sense. A lot of families do choose a single media contact. Um, so I don't want you guys to think that like, you know, Maddie's family isn't involved because they all seem incredibly involved and incredibly, uh, you know, devoted. I mean, gosh, look at her brother coming back, you know, from his placement. It's just, it's just insane. Um,
But like I said, I, especially when I, when I got to Megan's TikTok, I just wanted to kind of show you like this, this is what it's like. I see I'm getting emotional now. When I was going through her videos, it's like, you can just see it, you know, and she's a beautiful woman. I'm not trying to say anything, but you can just see how tired she is. And as you progress through those videos, you know, and she's like, wait, what day is it? I
It just like hit me right in the heart. But okay, you guys know that. Obviously, I'm sending all the love to Maddie's family who are going through a lot right now. I also wanted to talk about kind of how I structured this episode and let you know that there's a big reason why I wanted to include so much audio from Megan and, you know, basically just statements from the police directly. This case is so new and
And if you watch any of the news coverage of Maddie's family and law enforcement, they are both being extremely cautious in what they release. And I want to respect that is what I was trying to say. I think it's important. I wanted to take their lead and just put out the facts because...
Again, if you look at this case, there is a lot of speculation and that's not what I'm here to do. I just want to help raise awareness. And I know that I have listeners in Minnesota. So again, I really hope that if you're in the area and you're able to and want to and you're in a place mentally where you can, that you go help. I mean, you know, we always talk about getting involved, right? And a
A lot of the time it is just sharing these cases, and that's great. It really is. I cannot overstate how important it is for everyone out there to be sharing these cases, but...
When you're local and you can do something hands-on, that's huge. So I really hope you guys, if you are in Minnesota, that you are able to somehow find a way to get involved. And if you do, I would love to hear about it. It's the whole reason I do this show. I want to make a difference. I want to inspire people to care about these cases. I know I touched on it in the episode, and I talk about not sugarcoating how they feel about
And I think it's so funny because I get flack sometimes, you know, your show is so sad. And it's like, my show is real. And I just focus on maybe some things that some other creators don't. You know, for example, I often don't include, you know, gory details, especially when it comes to, you know, an unsolved murder case.
that I'm covering. Those are details that I don't find important that other people do. And when I see these cases, I think it's really important to focus on the journey and be really, really honest about what these families go through. Because like I said in the main episode, sugarcoating that doesn't do anything for anyone. So yeah, I mean, if you're willing to put out
You know, the worst of the worst details of somebody's life out there. I don't understand why we aren't talking more about the family's emotions and what they actually go through because it does matter. Now, the other thing I wanted to touch on was, and I almost put in the episode, but I was trying so hard not to put any of my opinion on there.
But I will say that the fact that these kids left their father's custody with just the clothes on their back broke my heart. You guys know I say it all the time. I used to work with kids in foster care and, you know, those kids would come with nothing or trash bags full of stuff. If they were lucky, they had some suitcases full of stuff, of course. But that was a big thing when I worked with kids in foster care was, you know, I...
ownership of items and it may seem so petty right but it's when these kids leave and I know that these kids are young but you know when they leave without you know their favorite body wash especially a little kid right like maybe it's like some character body wash that they just love or a toothpaste or a toothbrush or just you know all those little creature comforts from home when they leave without any of that stuff I just I just know it makes it that much harder um
Yeah. And I don't want to talk too much about the kids. It doesn't feel like my place, but I will say that that was especially heartbreaking for me. I mean, of course, the whole thing is heartbreaking. But again, to, you know, your mom's missing and you're taken from your dad's custody and you don't know what's going on. And on top of that, when you leave, you don't have any of your stuff to comfort you. So just an absolutely heartbreaking case. And yeah, I
I know it's really, really early in the case. And I, you know, sometimes I do cover them when they're early. Most of the time, I do try to wait for them to develop a little bit further. But
You guys, when I read that article, when I saw, and I went on her Facebook, which please, oh my gosh, I probably shouldn't have said that. Don't do, don't go find these people's Facebooks. But I just wanted to see the post. That's all. I, you know, I didn't comment or anything that would feel inappropriate. But, you know, I went and saw the post about Alyssa and it just hit me. Maddie was a member of Alyssa's army when I was fighting for Alyssa.
And I feel like the least I could do is make this episode for her. So all I can hope is that it really does make a difference. So again, please share, you guys.
Let's show Maddie's family what Alyssa's army can do. I mean, the whole point of continuing this show was to take that concept, that passion, that empathy that we created for Alyssa's case with all of you, all of you amazing people listening right now. The whole point was to take all of you wonderful people and have you care about other cases just like Maddie's. So again, Maddie did it for Alyssa. Let's do it for her.
But as always, thank you for tolerating me, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.