Retired special prosecutor helping Madeline Kingsbury case

A highly respected special prosecutor has been brought out of retirement to help in the search for Madeline Kingsbury, the Minnesota mom who’s been missing for nearly eight weeks.

Investigators confirmed to Fox News Digital that they’re working with Phil Prokopowicz, the former chief deputy attorney in Dakota County whom one source called “arguably one of the best in the business.”

The special prosecutor — who retired in 2019 — is helping the nearby Winona County Attorney’s Office as a huge search remains underway over the 26-year-old mom’s “suspicious” disappearance on March 31.

The missing mom’s family is also in the middle of a bitter custody battle over her two young kids with their dad, Adam Fravel, who was the last person to see her alive.

Fravel has denied having anything to do with Kingsbury’s disappearance and has not been charged in the case.

“The Winona County Attorney’s Office has brought on Mr. Prokopowicz in a consulting capacity, as they often do for cases that are potentially complex,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety spokesman Bonne Bowman told the outlet.

Madeline’s sister, Megan Kingsbury, also confirmed the news to KTTC on Saturday.

“We don’t have a ton of details right now as far as what specifically he is looking into as the immediate concern is the custody trial,” said the sister, who that day also posted a tearful TikTok about her still-missing sibling.

“How is she still missing — like, how?” she sobbed as she shared photos of her sister that “really hit me in the feels.”

“I just don’t understand. Somebody has to know something about what happened to her and where she is. She didn’t just walk away,” she said, wiping away tears.”

“We just wanna find her and find out what happened to her.”

Kingsbury’s family also shared a video with Fox News Digital showing the loving mom last year laughing and playing with her kids, aged 5 and 2, last year.

The mom was last seen dropping off the kids at a Winona daycare with Fravel, who claimed he later left their home at 10 a.m. and returned to find it empty.

The couple’s kids are currently living with Kingsbury’s dad, although they are technically in the custody of Winona County officials. A court hearing into the custody is scheduled for June 6.

At an earlier custody hearing, lawyers “addressed the elephant in the room” — that Fravel was the last person to see Kingsbury’s before she “involuntarily” disappeared, Fox News said, citing police.

“While law enforcement has stated they do not have any suspects at this time, we know Mr. Fravel was the last person to see Ms. Kingsbury,” the Kingsbury family’s lawyer argued in a May 5 letter obtained by the outlet.

“Ms. Kingsbury’s family have significant concerns based upon their knowledge of Ms. Kingsbury and Mr. Fravel’s relationship that Mr. Fravel knows more about Ms. Kingsbury’s disappearance than he is letting on,” the filing argued.

The missing mom’s sister, Megan, previously told Fox News Digital that Fravel and his family have maintained radio silence despite their attempts to talk to them.

Fravel released a statement 12 days after his partner was last seen to swear that he “did not have anything to do with Maddi’s disappearance.”

“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,” Fravel said at the time.

Kingsbury’s family has not given up hope despite more than 1,000 volunteers joining huge searches finding nothing nearly 8 weeks after she was last seen.

Her brother, Army infantryman Stephen, has also returned from 14 years of active overseas service to help in the hunt.

“It’s hard to imagine how it could ever be reciprocated,” he said of the massive volunteer effort.

“Our gratitude for all involved in our efforts to bring our sister/daughter/mother home will never fade,” he said.

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams described the disappearance as “suspicious” and “involuntary.”

However, limited detail has been released due to fears it could “jeopardize” the chances of finding her and “if warranted, hold accountable the person or persons responsible,” he said.