Missing Minnesota mother Madeline Kingsbury was in the process of finding a new home when she vanished late last month, a fact that CrimeOnline’s Nancy Grace said may be a key aspect in the investigation.
“She was looking for a new place to live. I find that significant,” Grace told Fox News on Tuesday after speaking directly with Kingsbury’s sister Megan, who joined Grace on Tuesday’s episode of “Crime Stories.”
The 26-year-old mother of two was last seen around 8 a.m. on March 31 when she and the children’s dad dropped off their two kids at a day care facility in Winona, Minnesota.
Kingsbury and the children’s unnamed biological father had split, but they often dropped off and picked up the kids together, according to Grace.
Investigators believe Kingsbury returned to her home around 8:15 a.m. after bringing the kids to day care. The children’s father reportedly told police that he left the woman’s home in her minivan at around 10 a.m. and when he came back later that day, she was gone from the residence, according to KTTC-TV.
A vehicle matching the van’s description, a dark blue Chrysler Town and County, was spotted traveling on area county roads and highways between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. that day, according to NBC News. However, authorities have not said who was driving the van during this time or whether they have that information.
Police believe the vehicle remained at the residence from 1:30 p.m. onward. Investigators have searched the van and Kingsbury’s home, where they found her phone, wallet, ID and a jacket.
Kingsbury did not show up for work at the Mayo Clinic on the day she vanished and has not answered any calls or messages. She also failed to pick up her kids, ages 2 and 5, from day care.
Police have characterized her disappearance as “involuntary” and “suspicious,” CBS News reports.
Kingsbury’s sister Megan has said the two texted each other around 8:15 a.m. the day she vanished. “Regular text for her. We were chuckling about a funny photo exchanged between us, and that was the communication,” Megan told Fox News.
Grace said the sisters’ texts are likely the only concrete part of the established timeline so far because of how difficult it can be to mimic someone else’s personality in such messages.
“The only thing I believe right now is that she was alive and accounted for at 8:15,” Grace told Fox News.
Grace added that Kingsbury is a devoted mother and well-educated professional who worked at one of the nation’s foremost medical centers.
“She didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. This woman ran part of the public health at the Mayo Clinic, she was working on her master’s degree, she juggled two little children,” Grace told Fox News.
Police were expected to release more information about the case on Tuesday after a large-scale search over the weekend.
On Monday, Megan offered a message for her sister in an interview on Good Morning America.
“We love her — and Maddi, we’re going to find you,” Megan told GMA.
A $50,000 reward is being offered for information about Kingsbury’s whereabouts. She’s described as 5-foot-4 and around 145 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair.
Anyone with information should contact the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office at 507-765-3874 (Option 1) or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 507-457-6530 or email at winonaareacrimestoppers.com.
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[Feature Photo: Madeline Kingsbury/Minnesota BCA]
