Milwaukee man charged with killing co-worker in South Milwaukee Pizza Hut homicide
A Milwaukee man has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of 55-year-old Alex Stengel, a Cudahy resident and fellow Pizza Hut employee.
The body of Stengel was discovered Feb. 7 in a garbage can behind the dumpsters at the Pizza Hut in South Milwaukee, two days after he was killed, according to authorities.
Kavonn Ingram, 31, was arrested Feb. 11 in connection to the crime and charged Feb. 16 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court.
Both men worked at the South Milwaukee Pizza Hut.
According to the criminal complaint:
South Milwaukee police received a call at 11:04 a.m. Feb. 7 for reports of a body found inside a garbage can behind the dumpsters at the Pizza Hut at 124 N. Chicago Ave.
Officers found the body of Stengel, which had gunshot wounds and stab wounds. His wallet, keys and cellphone appeared to be missing.
Police then discovered a trail of blood that went from the dumpster area to the Pizza Hut building; to a door that led to the restaurant's kitchen.
Police believe Stengel was killed in the kitchen area of the restaurant, wrapped in a garbage bag, placed in a garbage can, and then wheeled outside to the dumpster area.
Investigators searched inside the restaurant and found that a majority of it appeared dirty except for a section of the kitchen which appeared to be cleaned recently. The metal doors also had been cleaned.
They also noted a garbage bag near the rear door of the Pizza Hut which was the same type of plastic bag that was found covering the victim in the garbage can.
Surveillance video from a Taco Bell located just north of the Pizza Hut showed that at 10:25 a.m. Feb. 5, a suspect wearing black clothing was struggling to drag a garbage can from the Pizza Hut toward the dumpsters. The person was then seen at 10:26 a.m. returning to the Pizza Hut.
Computer records from the restaurant show that Stengel clocked in for work at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 5, prepped the register at 9:56 a.m. and then the registered was opened at 10:09 a.m., which was unusual, according to a regional manager for Pizza Hut, as there had not been any sales at the restaurant yet.
Stengel was then clocked out at 10:50 a.m. ― about 25 minutes after the suspect was seen dragging the garbage can to the dumpsters. Authorities believe Ingram, who was familiar with the restaurant's computer and time management system, logged Stengel out of the system after the murder occurred.
The general manager of the Pizza Hut said she started receiving text messages from the Stengel's phone starting at 10:28 a.m. Feb. 5. A phone call was also documented a minute later, but the manager noted it was muffled. Another text message from the victim's phone was sent at 11:07 a.m. which stated that the victim wasn't feeling well and had clocked out for the day.
Authorities said the text message was sent by the suspect to explain Stengel’s absence and, combined with the logging out of the computer, shows the suspect is familiar with Pizza Hut procedures and the individual workers at the restaurant.
Stengel was scheduled to work Feb. 6 but did not show up for work, the regional manager said.
The regional manager told authorities that on Feb. 3, Stengel had cashed a $7,000 inheritance check before heading to work, and while at work showed several employees a large roll of cash, and that Ingram was one of those who saw the money.
Ingram is facing a total of four charges, including first-degree intentional homicide as a party to a crime with use of a dangerous weapon; hiding a corpse as a party to a crime; armed robbery as a party to a crime; and possession of a firearm by a felon.
If convicted of the homicide charge, Ingram faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Contact Adrienne Davis at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Erik Hanley contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pizza Hut employee charged in South Milwaukee homicide
