TRANSCRIPTION OF MADELINE'S SISTER
INTERVIEW WITH Nancy Grace
(
Nancy plays clip from presser)
MEGAN - Madeline's 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 and she's grown into an impressive and beautiful young woman. Madeline is many things, she's a mother, sister, daughter, best friend, grand daughter and a niece, it's a long list. She's a young mother of 5 yr. old A, 2 yr. old N. A is spunky and goofy and she loves to be crafty and creative. She's inherited her mother's kindness and curiousity about the world. Little N 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 blessed with the red headed gene from my grandfather.
GRACE - Megan, first of all, tell me about your sister's children, her two babies. I believe they are.... I guess they're in pre-school, right?
MEGAN - Yeah, A attended a Montessori pre-school in Winona, and then N went to an in home day care in Winona as well.
GRACE - Tell me about her relationship with her children.
MEGAN - They were the light of her life. Constantly with them, constantly trying to discover new things to teach them. She really encouraged them to be their own little people. She was very much a 'yes' mom; wanted them to experience everything.
NANCY - You know, I was just thinking about them. One is 2 and one is 5 - how are they reacting to mommy not being there every single day?
MEGAN - You know, fortunately, they're very young. So, especially N, he's only 2. As far as them asking about her - once in a while, but they're doing really well, right now. As far as we can tell, they haven't really noticed any big difference.
NANCY - They must be surrounded by a lot of love right now.
MEGAN - Yes.
NANCY - ...and not even realise anything is out of the norm.
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plays clip from the Fox interview with Megan)
MEGAN - Since her first child was born, which is five years ago now, I talked to her multiple times on a daily basis, facetime, phone, text, even the rest of my family - she's in constant communication with us about every minute detail, so it's very unlike her.
The last communication that I had with her was the morning of Friday, March 31st. She had sent me a text at about 8:15 in the morning, regular texts for her - we were chuckling about a funny photo exchanged between us and that was the last communication with me or with any of my family, or with her other friends.
GRACE - Megan, so you guys were exchanging texts early that morning, as early as 8:15?
MEGAN - Yeah. We both start early in the morning. I personally, I start work at 7 am and she's up with the kids. So yeah, pretty much every morning, it's pretty pretty early contact with us.
GRACE - Let me understand her schedule Megan. Megan, in the morning - so she would get up, would she always drop the children, one at the home day care and one at the Montessori?
MEGAN - E went to the Montessori, gosh, I think maybe two or three days a week. The other days she went to the same in home day care as N.
GRACE - And Madeline would be the one to drop them off?
MEGAN - Yeah. Sometimes, I think, their father joined as well. I wasn't quite clear on how often but she definitely would always be there.
GRACE - So it was always her. Now who would pick them up?
MEGAN - I think, typically, it would be her or both parents. I think it kind of depended on her schedule.
GRACE - But almost always her and maybe the dad would also come?
MEGAN - Yes.
GRACE - Okay, the day that she went missing, who picked them up?
MEGAN - Their father.
GRACE - Okay, so that was covered. You exchanged a text with her early that morning, Megan - 8:15, did you hear from her after that?
MEGAN - I did not.
GRACE - Was that normal?
MEGAN - No. I mean, even if she can't talk or she's busy she'll sent a message saying so 'Hey, I'm busy, I'll talk to you later', but no, I didn't get anything else.
GRACE - And that was March 31st. correct?
MEGAN - Yes.
GRACE - Okay, March 31st. she goes missing, last heard from that morning at 8:15.
(
Grace talks to an investigative reporter and a SAR expert about the search)
GRACE - What goes through your mind when you're hearing us talking about searching in this terrain?
MEGAN - You know, I've been out searching myself, in some more kind of remote areas: wildlife preserves, things like that. I've been down to visit, I've seen the difficulty in the terrain and I kind of look around and I'm like 'well, she could be anywhere' and it's hard to know where to search and a lot of people just aren't able to search that terrain effectively. So, it definitely worries me, every day.
GRACE - When you go to bed at night - what are your thoughts about where's your sister?
MEGAN - Just last night I was outside and I looked up at the sky and I'm just wondering if she's out there somewhere under the same sky, like 'where could she be?'. It's... a million things run through my mind, every night, and you want to hold on to a chance of hope that she's found okay. It's difficult the longer that this goes on.
GRACE - To John Lauritsen (
investigative reporter), joining us. Was there any history of just, quote 'taking a break, or needing time to herself, anything like that? because I haven't found it.
REPORTER - No, not that we're aware of. I'm sure Megan and the family would be able to speak to that.
GRACE - Megan is there any such history?
MEGAN - There is not.
GRACE - I want you to hear more of what we know about Madeline, listen..
(
plays another clip from the Fox interview with Megan)
MEGAN - There was some concern the evening of Friday, March 31st. My mom actually sent me a message asking if I had heard from my sister that day because my mom had sent some messages and had no response, and when she said that, I was kind of like, 'oh, I guess you're right'. She was supposed to come visit my house the next morning with her daughter and typically we would have discussed those plans since it was coming up. So, it was that evening when we started kind of connecting with her friends and seeing if anyone had heard from her.
GRACE - Megan how far away from Madeline do you live?
MEGAN - I live in the Minneapolis area, so it's about two hours from her home in Winona.
GRACE - So, to plan a trip - this isn't just like she's going around the corner. This is something... she'd have to get the children ready, in the car, snacks, all that and then drive two hours to see you and your family, correct?
MEGAN - Right.
GRACE - So, that was the plan, interesting. And no history at all of just leaving to go for a girl's weekend or time alone, nothing like that, right?
MEGAN - Right. I mean, if she needed a break, she'd come to my house but she'd still bring the kids and we'd kind of tag team and watch them, but no she never would leave them
GRACE - That morning - 8:15 am, that's when she's texting with her sister, Megan, she and the bio-dad drop the children at day care?
REPORTER - Correct.
GRACE - He tells cops he left Maddie's house at 10 am., for some reason, in her minivan. Okay, let me understand - that was when the decision was made that she did not go to work, because that's when she would go to work, I understand, between 8... after she drops the children. Did he bring her back to the house, is that what he's saying?
REPORTER - That's what we understand, through law enforcement, that's what he told them.
GRACE - Then he takes the Chrysler and then when he comes back with it, I don't know what.. to fill it with gas, I'm not sure. He gets back at 10 am. and she's not there. Is that correct?
REPORTER - He claims he left and came back, I believe, in the afternoon and she was not there. Now, law enforcement is telling us there's no evidence that she was picked up by anybody else, or that she might have just left the home and walked somewhere and that's according to the Winona Police Chief.
GRACE - Well, is that the terrain, Megan? Would she just leave and walk somewhere?
MEGAN - No, I mean, where her house is kind of situated, she's not really within walking distance of like a Target or anything.
GRACE - Did she walk, jog or bike, anything like that?
MEGAN - You know, she used to jog, I think it's been a while but she did used to jog, in the past.
GRACE - But not recently?
MEGAN - No, I don't believe so.
GRACE - So, I'm just trying to figure out... we were covering the case of Eliza Fletcher, a Memphis mom, who was out at like, 4 o'clock in the morning, jogging; that was her routine and a lot of terrains like - you go out on the street it's like I-75, you can't walk or jog or bike there. Or, it could be a country road like Molly Tibbets, where she would run every day. So, is the terrain near.. did she have a home, apartment, condo what?
MEGAN - They lived in a town home it was kind of one of those divided in half one's, so they had a connected neighbour.
GRACE - Okay, and the bio-dad's living in the home, correct?
MEGAN - Yes.
GRACE - Okay, so he leaves with the car. Yeah, you're right, Lauritsen; I had that 10:30 am in my head, that he came back, but her vehicle was sighted between 10:30 and 1:30 pm that's where I'm getting 10:30. Is that correct?
REPORTER - That is correct, yes.
GRACE - Who sighted her vehicle?
REPORTER - That was spotted around town, I believe there's more than one witness to that and now what law enforcement is trying to get people to do, since we've been down there, is - have people check, it's called the Highway 43 corridor, that's where that van is that's spotted, or was spotted around that time.
GRACE - Multiple sightings of her van around town, but did anybody see who was driving it?
(
Reporter talks about LE's request for door cams, trails cams etc. from the general public)
GRACE - You're telling me people in the town of Winona think they saw, not just A blue Town & Country, HER blue Town & Country, is that what they think?
REPORTER - That's what law enforcement has told us. They believe that van... more than one person saw that van driving in that timeframe we talked about.
GRACE - What was distinct about her van? Megan, what if anything is distinct? John, anybody jump in and tell me.
REPORTER - Well, the fact that it was a Town & Country Chrysler van... and honestly Nancy, I don't know how popular those are in Winona, Minnesota, but in that timeframe that van was spotted and that's an excellent question - is that van... do we know if that was hers for sure? I'm guessing, but law enforcement says it is.
GRACE - Megan, what about it, what about her van?
MEGAN - You know, law enforcement has some footage from a gas station in Rushford, Minnesota, I believe it was a Kwik Trip, of the van coming and going. So, I know for sure they've seen it in Rushford. Other than that, I haven't heard if there's been any other footage. I know they're looking at semi trucks; those have cameras, kind of all around, they're really trying any avenue to see if they can get footage.
GRACE - Where is Rushford as it relates to Winona?
REPORTER - It's pretty close, 20 miles would be the maximum.
GRACE - And what time of the day was her van spotted in Rushford?
MEGAN - I want to say probably between like 10:30 and 11ish.
REPORTER - Yeah, I believe you're right on that Megan. I think it was in the morning still, before the noon hours that that was spotted.
GRACE - But what time does bio-dad say he brought the car back?
MEGAN - I believe that he said he returned home around 1 pm.
GRACE - So, that could have been him driving around? That doesn't really help us, does it? Okay, where's the vehicle right now John?
REPORTER - Law enforcement has searched that vehicle. I do not know if they gave that back to the family.
GRACE - Do you know Megan?
MEGAN - I believe law enforcement still has the vehicle.
(
Nancy talks to a CSI expert who mentions that Madeline's FB page shows she was looking for a new place to live)
GRACE - Megan, is that correct, that she was looking for a new place to live?
MEGAN - Yes, that's correct.
GRACE - Why?
MEGAN - Her and the father of the children were not continuing their relationship.
GRACE - They were splitting?
MEGAN - Yes. So, she was looking for a new place, close to where she already lived, close to the day care, close to the preschool. I know she was looking over in Goodview, which is the next town over. So yeah, she was looking for a new place.
GRACE - The family of Madeline Kingsbury has now issued a $50,000 reward. Tip line - 507-457-6288. Please help us find Madeline.
