The Search Continues For Minnesota Mother After Her ‘Suspicious’ Disappearance

Madeline Jane Kingsbury, a 26-year-old mom of two, has disappeared from Winona, Minnesota. Police are calling the woman’s disappearance “involuntary” and “suspicious”.

Kingsbury was seen with the father of her children when she was dropping them off at daycare on Friday, March 31, 2023. The two then apparently went back to their home in Winona around 8 a.m. that day, KARE 11 News reports. Later that morning, Kingsbury was allegedly last seen around 10 a.m. by the father of their two children who are ages 2 and 5. At that time, he left in her van, a dark blue Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

When the father returned later that day, Kingsbury was not home and could not be found. She didn’t show up for work or pick up her children on March 31. That was “very unlike her”, according to the Winona Police Department in a press conference on April 5.

Police believe a van fitting Kingsbury’s vehicle’s description drove along County Road 12 and Highway 43 between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. that same day. However, Winona Police Chief Tom Williams said that van is believed to have been parked at her residence from 1:30 p.m. onward. Police have no evidence that she left her home on foot or in another vehicle.

NBC Chicago reported that investigators searched Kingsbury's home and her van. They recovered her call phone, her wallet with her ID, and the jacket she was wearing the morning of her disappearance.

The young mom’s family grew concerned when they couldn’t reach her throughout the day and when she did not return to pick up her children that afternoon. According to NBC Chicago, Madeline’s sister Megan Kingsbury said, “Madeline is many things. She's a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, granddaughter, niece - it's a long list."

PEOPLE reported that Madeline is “a hardworking mother and graduate student” who works for the Mayo Clinic. Megan promises to "remain loud" until her family has answers in the disappearance of her sister. Williams said that police are considering multiple possibilities, including foul play. Her children – a five-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy – are safe, ABC News confirmed.

A large, organized search for Madeline spanned two days, but after the search on Saturday, April 8, police announced that there would be a third day of the search. Instead, police decided to focus their efforts on targeted searches, according to MPR News.

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams stated, "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."

The Twin Cities Pioneer Press reported that the young mom’s family is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to finding her. Kingsbury is 5 feet, 4 inches tall. She has brown hair and hazel eyes, and she weighs 135 pounds.

As broadcast by the La Crosse Tribune, Williams asked that anybody with information about this case contact 1-800-222-TIPS or the Winona Police Department at 507-457-6288.

“We remain very hopeful that we will bring Maddie back home to her family,” he added.